My Last Post Was In November?!!!

Oh golly meeeee.  I could have sworn (if I were the swearing type) that I did write a post this year.  I did!  I did!  The evil blog critters must have done something to it.  May be forced to sprinkle garlic powder over my lap top.  Or was that salt?  Salt I have aplenty...the garlic powder may have hardened and expired, like most of the things in my fridge...and cupboard.

Stop digressing, Leechy!

It is August of the year 2012.  How did eight freaking months of my life passed by without a single post.  Oh yeah.  Evil blog critters.

What else passed by?  The Olympics.  That one zoomed right over my head.  Me, probably the small percentile of the population still without cable.  But I have broadband and live streaming and yet I probably watched a whopping total of 4 hours of an assortment of events.  Did not even watch darling Federer play and give the gold over to Murray.

Many a things happened in this great nation of ours.  Yes.  That statement is peppered with sarcasm and undertones of injustice and resentment.  Am hoping for a change.  Change is good.  Change is scary.  But at this point, any change is better than no change.  'Nuff said.

Bersih 3.0 on my mum's birthday.  Am sure she would have understood why I didn't visit her.

Still paper pushing away at the same job.  Still loving it...even the bad parts...in hindsight.  Always in hindsight.  Learning to deal with all sorts of people on a daily basis.  Learning to be a bigger (not physically!) person on a daily basis.

Joined the 'sewing circle' in church.  Am as amazed as you are, so put away that raised eye brows and wipe that incredulous drool.  It does not look becoming.

Still collecting books and attempting to read all of them.  The Big Bad Wolf sale is in the horizon and that calls for a visit to IKEA for a new Billy book case.  The two in the study is packed.

To end on a more serious note.  Things I unfortunately learnt the hard way:

• Lines have to be drawn and most of the time...in order to do that...one has no choice but to be a bitch.  Then, people who would normally leverage your 'kindness' would think twice before coming to you with their crap.  If they still come, then you know that it is most probably a genuine request.  Help if you can.  If not, get a turqoise coloured crayon and draw more lines.
• When making a change in your life, best not to announce it to too many people.  True friends are weeded out from the fakers.  You will never understand this unless you have been through it, so trust me on this.
• A simple "I love you" heals a multitude of hurts.
• Idiots exist EVERYWHERE.  But do not be too presumtious.  Sometimes, when you stare into a mirror, one stares back at you.

Alright.  Out for dinner.  It has been a long day and am in dire need of entertainment...of any kind.  I am that desperate.

The cross stitch will just have to stay in its plastic prison for yet another day (or possibly week...hopefully not months).

A Little Too Late

She sits in the bus stop. A lone figure hunched up and trembling. The wind starts to build up and catches her curls as it blows pass. The skies are rumbling and the promise of rain lingers in the fresh smells of nature. But he doesn't appear. All the other kids have gone back to their warm toasty homes. But she still waits. Maybe this time he will remember her. Maybe this time...

The rain drops. So do her tears. A salty mixture of disappointment and hurt. This time was no different than the rest. He had done it once again. Broken a promise. She thought that by now the hurt would have lessen, that she would have gotten used to it. But it hurt just as badly as all the other times.

She got up from the bench. It was useless waiting any longer for someone who would not show up. Who would never show up. What was a little rain? Her heart was already feeling so cold and numb. The rain could not do no further harm.

And so she walked home. The rain washed off the tears that continued to fall. Between that and the rain that was now pouring down in sheets, she could not see where she was going. It happened so fast...the truck, the horn, the collision. There was no pain. There was no time for it.

The funeral was a sombre one as all funerals are. Many could not understand how God allowed such a beautiful child to be taken away. Tears and emotions flowed freely. Many found solace in the knowledge that she is now in a better place.

He finally came. But it was too late. He would never see her smile or hear her laughter again. He wished that he had not forgotten about his princess. He wished many things that day but none of them would be granted to him. Not even one.

Sushi: The Making Off

Deepavali was a good day. A long day. It was filled with food. A lot of it...yummy Indian food. For dinner however, sushi rolls were on the menu. Homemade. This was my first attempt and boy was I glad that Ann was around. Cooking genius that woman is. Me on the other hand, I found out that my common sense (the leeeetle that I have) ventures not into the kitchen. The things I do, which makes so much sense to me, often defy the exact science of cooking. So unlike other cooking blogs, I will blog about what NOT to do (often from a wealth of mistakes experienced) rather than what to do...which one can very easily google about.

Munkee see, munkee do. Though extensive YouTube research (watched two videos), I found out that sushi rice is not really sushi rice until some rice vinegar is added and combed into the rice evenly. Just enough to give it a slightly sourish tinge. Good to have measuring cups in the house. Mentally adding into my shopping list the ones found in IKEA...cause they match my kitchen's colour theme. For real. Anything can basically be chucked (neatly arranged in other words) into the roll. That yellow stuff is some kind of pickled vegetable. My next sushi making session will involve salmon sashimi and the slightest trickle of roasted sesame seed dressing. A good tip for blubbering idiots in the kitchen, rice is sticky. But rice on wet hands is not sticky.
We also had grilled shishamo...except that it was over cooked and the eggs exploded as a result. Note to self, sprinkle more salt and some oil to speed up the browning process. Went in blind on this dish.
And lastly, this has nothing to do with sushi. Just felt like throwing in a picture of my 'guilty shelf'. It has been empty for so long till three days ago when I threw caution into the wind and procured Mr Lay and Mr Ruffles. Let's see how long they survive in the Oinkery.

It's September Again

A time to remember.  A time to appreciate.


Loved ones.  Lost ones.


A moment of silence.


Tugs the heart.


And memories bring you back to me.

Goodbye...

I just found out that a friend I had lost touch with passed away this morning. Cervical cancer. She was a year younger. Of all the words I could choose from...I will choose two: THAT SUCKS. It does. Another light snuffed out. At such a young age. It just doesn't seem right.

There has to be a lesson to be learnt. As I sit in Starbucks rehabilitating my injured pointer finger (another story for another post), I look around. This place is filled with young people (aside from the two older aunties sitting in front of me who look like they are best friends catching up on life) surfing, chatting, caffeinating...and there are these two guys watching Glee together (ahem). So much 'life' happening at this place that I feel like an outcast. I am thinking of death. Of lost. And there has to be a lesson somewhere here.

I don't know. Perhaps the lesson is in acknowledging that these losses hurt...they take a piece of us with them and we are never the same again. In acknowledging this, we perhaps have a greater appreciation of people around us. Perhaps this is the lesson.

But whatever it may be, goodbye my dear friend. May you be at peace finally.

Road Rage Is Not Dead, Courtesy Is.

Question: Why is there so much road rage on the road?
Answer: Because there is an equivalent amount of idiots on the road too!

My Wish List...SSF Bandar Sri Damansara

So many pretty things. So many pretty EXPENSIVE things. My minimalistic perception of my apartment is threatened constantly. Everytime I step into a home decor centre, my shopping spree sprite (never knew I had one) awakens and jumps up with full gusto ready to burn some serious plastic. I suddenly have visions of bunnies huddling in a corner and candle stands in corners I know I will never dust.

Well, a girl can always dream...or wish...so here, in this poor blog so irregularly updated, my sprite will post up pictures of what could have been (and who knows, will be with the next pay cheque). Pretty things...mostly useless except to serve as eye candy and a place for dust to settle on.

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A lovely iron tea light candle holder (RM498). Wow, this one some how blew me away and when I took a peek at the tag...well, suffice to say, a little bit of my enthusiasm died.

This flower and tall vase arrangement caught my eye. Lovely, but not enough to make me bend down to look for the price tag.

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Clay wabbits! Pretty pretty! I can imagine it on the floor at a corner. The bigger ones are RM50/rabbit and RM30/rabbit for the smaller ones.
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A rustic miniature grandfather clock. RM201.60 after being slashed down from RM288.
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Another candle holder. Don't know why I like these non-practical potentially fire causing items. Sigh. This was a whim so did not take note of the price.

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I came out of that five (or maybe four) storey building empty handed. Saw a couple of curtain fabrics that I liked, but was not ready to part with RM2000 for two sets of curtains (living room and master bedroom). They have been shelved into my KIV folder.

Black Pears In My Fridge

I have never EVER admitted that 'domestic goddess' was or will be associated with likes of me. The black pears in my fridge is a testament of that. Having my own pad now has opened a whole new world containing the following phrases: "You mean I can't do that? B-b-but it makes so much sense", "Damn you dust! Damn you!" and "Ooops, I did it again".

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I think that some people are born with it and some (yours truly) are not.

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Example. I bought fragrant pears one day. Said pears were very waxy even after a thorough scrubbing and soaking. So yours truly sat down and tapped head to quicken the thinking process ala Pooh Bear style. "Think Lish, think." The answer came to me and promptly I boiled a kettle of water and poured it into a bowl. After 3 seconds of being dipped into the hot water, the pears felt much cleaner and my innards were thanking me for my brilliance. Brilliance indeed. The next day when I opened my fridge, the pears had turned BLACK...entirely black...a gross hue of black. I was shocked. I closed the fridge door. Took a deep breath and opened the door again. The pears were still black, black, black.

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The lesson I learned: you apparently can't soak fruits in hot water to get rid of the wax. "You mean I can't do that? But it sounded like such a good idea!"

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As for the black pears, they are still in my fridge. Maybe I can bring them to the pasar malam and market them as some exotic sweet pears from Timbuktu (let's hope no one who goes to the pasar malam reads this post). Or, I have some friends coming over this Wed. Bwa ha ha ha! "Care for some pears, my lovelies?"

Life like the Arc de Triomphe

One of the things I remember from my short stint in Paris is driving towards the Arc de Triomphe during rush hour. My driver turned to me and said,"When entering the roundabout of the Arch, you must quickly look for your opening and go for it! If you keep hesitating, you will not reach your destination." He then turned back towards the road, saw his opening and zoomed into the oncoming traffic. My heart stopped. I had a taste of the crazy Parisian traffic. It was truly an experience.

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But his words have stuck with me since. There are moments to be patient and even moments to hesitate before jumping in with both feet. But there are also moments where a decision has to be made...today...not tomorrow or day after. Sometimes the decision has to be made NOW and for an impulsive person like me, that just adds to the excitement and challenge of it all. "Let's go!" and "What are we waiting for?" are normally the things that would burst forth from my mouth (that clearly reacts way fast than my thought processes) at stupid and brilliant suggestions. I have obviously landed myself in lots of trouble this way. But nevertheless, the massive memories and laughter almost always make up for the embarassment that almost always have a way of showing up.

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But now as I grow older and gained more responsibilities, I find it a challenge to allow the Little Miss Spontaneity in me to surface. I do still say yes without hesitation (old habits die hard)...but more often than not, I will double take and reconsider what I have gotten myself into. Weighing the pros (the Leech's life motto: Will try almost everything once!) and cons (boring things like work, leave, meetings to attend...dum be dum dum and more), I will then make my decision. But then again, the words of that Parisian driver rings in my head and reminds me that sometimes...just sometimes when you see that opening, go for it because what you want may not always be in front of you. You may be late in reaching your destination and whoever was waiting may no longer be there.

Have You Seen Google Today?

Sesame Street turns 40 today! I just love Google's picture today. Brilliantly cute. It brought back so many nostalgic memories of my childhood and even as I write this, I am smiling. I am brought back to a certain small town where a single story house nest in the middle of a large compound filled with fruit trees and chicken and a particular maroon Mini-Minor that zooms us wee lads around. Now the Mini is yellow and the lot of us can no longer fit into the backseat...much less climb into it. I remember the swing out front where the six of us would squeaze into (three on the seat and three on the back rest) and swing away pretending the wind in our hair blew from the wild stormy seas where we reigned as pirates (ahoy there me matey!) in search of treasure islands and eager to plunder any wealthy looking ships that dared cross out path. Until one day we got too big for the swing and went toppling over...swing and six ex-pirates. Then Ghost Busters came about and the dark book-filled library slash store became a hunting ground for us and our vacuum cleaner. Digging for worms and fishing in the drains surrounding the house. Running through a dragonfly filled field and watching the swarm of red and green and blue fly away from us. Kingfishers alighting on the electrical wires in front of the house. Rambutan trees fruiting...oh my, the sweet red bunches of juiciness. Ciku, nangka, mangosteen, jambu! Watching IT with the rest and being scared to death of clowns and going to the toilet alone. Sweets and snacks my Kong-Kong would buy us after cycling back from town. The different cats my aunt had...all cute and thoroughly terrorised by us. The Beano and Dandy comics we grew up with. And Reader's Digest dating back to the 60s. And the list goes on.

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But I am reminded. It has been a long time since ichi-babi and it's owner made a trip up north to all that rich memories. I am ashamed to not have made more of an effort to do so while I still can. There will be a day when I want to and the house may no longer welcome me the way I want it to. Alrighty then! Time for a road trip!

Bipolaroid...

Everything Changes

I was holding on to something I thought I had. But it turned out to be an illusion. I had it for a long time. Or so I thought I did. But when realisation set in, the harsh truth took my breathe away. They say that it takes two to tango. What they don't tell you is that the two people are most probably dancing a dance they believe to be tango but in reality is the 'joget' and when the dance ends, they find themselves in a dingy basement instead of a glittering ballroom. Illusions. Dangerous things. So today I am letting go of that illusion, my friend. I will still be there in that dingy basement if you need me to be, but I'll know that it is not a glittering ballroom.

Light Headed & Hungry!

I had 450mL of blood drained out of me today. And probably a little extra for good measure. I felt fine right after. But now (about 5 hrs on) I feel...strangely light headed. It feels like I am high on drugs or alcohol. Floating. And I thought that it would be interesting to blog in this condition. Maybe some interesting images will float around in my head. Maybe some numbers. Hhhmmm...

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But nothing. Nothing comes to mind. No pictures. No words. Did the people in the white coats suck out more than just my blood? Did I pass out while I was donating blood? Did they manage to perform the world's fastest brain surgery on me...successfully removing parts of my brain capable of generating interesting thoughts and witty remarks? Because it sure feels that way! Something has changed. I have not blogged since June. And reading the caption of that blog (Federer Rocks!)...hurts...it cuts like a knife. He still rocks...no doubt...but still...sigh...let's not go there. My head is already throbbing. Don't want my heart to follow suit.

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Where was I? Oh yes. Life. Someone remarked that I have been living life large from all my FB posts. Can someone really tell by reading FB posts?!!! What have I been writing in my status updates? As far as I can remember, a lot of it has been about food *smirks*. Hhhhmmm, if only he knew. This past year has been both challenging and frustrating on all levels.

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Argh!

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I am restless. I need to do something! Anything! I need to unplug the earphones out of my ears right now and make my way to a certain house somewhere across the Motorola bridge. And for what seems like the hundreth time...I left something at home that I am suppose to bring with me. Somethings...just never change. And somethings change way too fast. I am rambling. I am hypoglycaemic. And still very much light headed. And devoid of any floating psychedelic images or tinkling voices. No fun. And now to add to the mix of light headedness, restlessness...I am feeling wreckless and slightly mischievious. Oh no. Oh nooo. I shall stop here. No good can come out of this. Ha ha. Going now.

Federer ROCKS!

I enjoyed last Sunday tremendously. The day started with church and then went on in the following manner: sorting though second hand clothes for charity, a relaxing facial, a frustration parking experience in One Utama (where they deviated us to the One World parking without notice and no proper signage and help to get to the mall), Terminator Salvation, Formula One (no comments...I think that my passion for F1 has changed with the constant changing of rules) and then the highlight of the day: Roland Garros Men's Final. A showdown between my sweetheart, Roger Federer and Robin Soderling. The day that many a Federer fans have been waiting for. The question going through our minds, "Will this be the day that he wins the elusive French Open AND matches Sampras' all time record of 14 grand slam titles?"

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Well...HE DID IT!!!

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The match was a delight to watch and when at last Fed fell on his kness in victory...WOW! I was amazed at the how happy I was for him. And I still am. His achievements have been phenomenal. I think that I have been a huge fan since the start of his ATP career and I just love watching him play. It was not easy seeing him lose his number one position to Nadal but once a Federer fan, always a Federer fan. I think that I am still high from his win!

Time To Offski

It's a Friday evening and it is time to close all applications and turn off the computer. It is my 'holy' night and later on, Federer is going up against Del Porto...fighting for a spot in the finals of the French Open. I hope with all that I can hope with...that my darling hero thrashes Del Porto and advances with full confidence.

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This week has been a rather stressful one...but I survived it with all limbs attached and I am thankful. Now for two days of working on the condo and spending more money! I am broke but contented. Tim Hughes is singing, "We must go" and go I will. Before I offski, I leave you with two photos I took off Fiona's (talented, beautiful and easy to work with) website. Lauren's tea ceremony. Note the bunch of brides maids having a go at catching the bouquet.

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Am gonna try my bestest to finish off my Neil Gaiman this weekend on top of everything else already planned. Where do I find the time? Well, they say that sleep is for the weak. Mua ha ha...have you not read Twilight, we blood suckers have no need for sleep! Hhhmmm and if you have not read it...I know someone who is trying to sell a whole set! Call me! And now, like the Wee Free Men...it really is time to OFFSKI!!!!

Tough Time Recycling

It was frustrating. Good intentions were clearly insufficient. But let me start with what STARTED the frustration. Last Sunday, I was out with Amelia getting stuff done for our respective kitchens. It was a hot day. We stopped by a 7-Eleven for can drinks and proceeded to head back into PJ. Soon, the cans were empty and I left them in the car to be recycled once I saw a recycling bin. Monday passed and the cans were still in my car. Wednesday, Thursday and then Friday came and I realised that the places I went to did not have recycling bins located nearby. In fact, the only places I knew had recycling bins are Bangsar Village and IKEA.

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My point? It is not easy recycling effectively in Malaysia. You seperate the plastics from the paper and glass. And then, you have to go out there and search for a recycling center. I do it because I believe in recycling. But I can just imagine that those who do not take a really strong stand for it will also not really bother to go out and search for the nearest recycling post. That just irks me. Make recycling more simple and accessible! Then maybe more people will do it. Then maybe the blinking weather will go back to normal and I won't feel like melting every single moment of the day! The hot Leech over and out.

What The Leech Ate In Germany

Touched down, checked in and really to rumble.

(PS: Being too lazy to post up pics of the places I saw, I am just posting the yummy calories I had)

First shop I spotted walking out from the Marienplatz City Center underground. A bakery filled with really mouth watering breads and desserts.

No, I unfortunately did not have any dessert. Yes, boo hoo hoo...

Instead I had a toasted bread (can't remember what kind) topped with a generous helping of melted cheese, pineapples and bacon. It was SO GOOD.

I was truly in cheese heaven. This was one of the cheese stalls at the Viktualien Markt...a sort of food market in Munich filled with stalls selling fruits (so colourful and neatly arranged), flowers, trinkets, twig animals (each one with individualised names,,,SO CUTE!), sweets and many many other interesting items.

My first beer of the trip. Augustiner's beer hall.

That complimented the recommended pork loin and kraut. Kraut! Oh, that's a whole story of it's own. But it's a story for another blog.

Fresh pretzel filled with cream cheese and chives. I wish I could find this here in Malaysia. I just love their pretzels!

Beer number...erm...oh well, who is keeping count anyway.

Appetizer. You know what the white stuff on the breads is? LARD! Suffice to say, I decided that some calories were not worth the intake. Ha ha...the Leech counting her calories, huh?

After days of oinky loin, oinky knuckles, oinky ribs, oinky sausages, oinky snitzel and oinky strips...I decided to order a sirloin steak topped with fried onions. The combination was really good.

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Overall, the food was good...worthy of the LEECH'S SEAL OF APPROVAL. But kraut is to the Germans what kimchi is to the Koreans and what capsicum is to the Leech. Those of you who know me will get what I mean.

Believe

These past few weeks have been trying ones. They have been filled with challenges, both in and out of the office. There have been times I have lost my way at the crossroad of choices that are appearing more frequently of late. Many times where I have taken the wrong road. Many times that I started to doubt myself and my sanity and whether I was doing the right thing and making the right decisions. Doubts...they never really stop. Instead, they have a really sneaky way of multiplying till you are a jittery, quivery and uncertain mess.

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BUT.

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Before I got too lost...the Hand that holds me jerked me to a stop. I think that some cold water was splashed as well. It woke me up. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I DOING??? HELLO?!!! This jittery, quivery and uncertain mess was NOT me. It stops here. I have my directions. I have a map. I have a plan. What exactly was I unsure of? The more I thought of it...the more I reasoned...my doubts slithered away...just as sneakily as they appeared.

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Moral of the story. We need to stop and listen and assess before continuing. Those moments of rest are the ones that wake us up. They allow us to hear the alarms that may be blaring before we get too lost. As the saying goes...stop and smell the coffee...ooops...roses.

The Theory Of Intelligence

I don't know about you, but the conversation below makes A LOT of sense to me. I just had to post it. Anyway, a quick update for the month of April...taxes done...got the keys...went through several cabinet people and growing weary and tired and basically really frustrated (and this is before any work has started!!!)...work is equally as crazy...Ferrari's start has been apalling...so has Federer (but I am still supporting them)...also a very rainy start to the Formula One season (Sepang's race had to be stopped prematurely)...mum's birthday...swine flu (a week before I fly off)...a cancelled beach get-a-way...Sassorosso (which was just so so...ha ha ha...I just kill myself at times)...Yaki-Yaki (does NOT get the Leech's seal of approval)...Tenji (would probably not go back)...more futsal. Life has been good. Thank God for that!

"Well you see, Norm, it's like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells.. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

Good Friday

Why don't they understand,

Why can't they see,

Why are they crying in silence,

Why do they all have hearts broken,

It's not meant to be like this,

Why aren't they ALIVE,

Why have they not choosen love and hope and peace,

They could be running, flying, soaring with me,

But instead they have choosen to be chained,

They have choosen to endure the pain,

Pain that I can heal,

Pain that I can take away,

Just like I have taken all of it away,

Why can't they see...

There is another way,

And that way is ME,

I wait with open arms,

Saying pick me, choose me, love me

For I have picked you,

I have choosen you,

And I love you,

For all eternity.