I'm supposed to be blogging about what happened on my birthday, which made me one very happy girl on 30/9. It's really all thanks to my pals from 35/05, as well as my good ol' squadmates from SJ. The details (and pictures) are probably going to be very long though, and right now I have something I MUST MUST MUST get off my chest, because I can feel the words forming in my head already.

It goes like this. See, I went to the vet's today to visit my beloved dog Lucky, who had a minor operation to remove a benign cyst. (On a sidenote: Don't worry, he's a-ok, and as active as before!) My mother and I proceeded to Paya Lebar to have dinner, and god, I say, this world should learn to loosen up a little! I don't know if it was just me, but many people who were walking in the streets looked perpetually pissed off with someone. In particular, there was this lady wearing hugeass earphones, and I happened to be looking for a taxi stand near by. When I glanced in her direction, we happened to make eye contact and she just shot me an icy cold glare that screamed "STOP STARING OR I'LL BUTCHER YOU RIGHT NOW!". Hello woman, if you think the world owes you a living, don't vent your frustrations on me. It's just such a dampener to meet people like her. How unfriendly!

I was just thinking there are plenty of people like her. And I've discovered that I can't stand being around people who perpetually give off negative vibes. I mean, even if you're pissed at something, it doesn't mean you should vent it on another person. If it's just a few times, it's fine; because after all everybody has their bad days. Do it incessantly and I'll tell you that it irritates the heck out of the victim of your negativity. I thought I was the most pessimistic person the world had ever met in Secondary school, mostly because I was surrounded by optimistic friends. I've met my match, and then some more ever since college. Maybe it's because the hectic pace of life is getting on others' nerves. Or maybe it's because I've become more laid-back in approaching matters - I don't know. Whatever it is, it remains that there is a fine line between bitching about the crap that you have to put up with, and venting mindlessly without any regard for the victim's feelings. It gets tiring after awhile, having heard all about how the world is so unfair to "me myself and I". I really want to say that the world doesn't revolve around people like them, but I'm afraid it'll bring out even more negativity, which is something I really don't need right now.

That said, I'm not saying that everyone HAS to be happy and sprightly all the time (I know of a few who virtually don't get angry even twice in a year). Everyone is entitled to his/her moments of angst, sadness, pissiness, bitchiness, and whatever negative emotion you can think of. If an individual hasn't experienced a negative emotion, I'd think he's not human. Everyone has his periods of down-time - and IMO it gives life colour. To be able to see that not everything is fine and dandy all the time, and to be able to see the darker side of things. The latter sometimes has its own beauty, you know. Call me sadistic, but it is true. See, Thomas Hardy's poems are perpetually dark and depressed, but out of all these come his wonderful poems. The depressed are usually artists (ok, it's the other way around.) Vincent Van Gogh had his dark, dark periods - he painted the aesthetically pleasing Starry, Starry Night along with other famous pieces.

But I assert that this negativity becomes an issue when people start taking it out on others. It's not fair that others should suffer just because you are suffering. You can be angsty, but don't take it too far and think you're the only one who's feeling angst.

P.S.: I'm sorry I'm using the pronoun 'you'; it sounds so accusatory doesn't it? But there really isn't a better way to put it - what do I say? - "he, me, I, she"?

Look out for the 30/09 post and Italia Part II (Yes, I've got the photos ready already, and it's about a specific part of Italy (guess where!))