Embracing (READ: Breaking Free From) My Overused "Random" Expression

Image Source: Redbubble

Hey there, fellow blogwalkers! For this entry, I want to talk about something that I've been increasingly aware of in my writing, and that is my incessant overuse of the word "random". If you've been following my blog for a while (I can pretend like I don't have any followers, but I do, and there are 12 of them, so this is me acknowledging their existence 👽), you might have noticed this trend, and I've decided it's time to confront it head-on. So, let's dive into my love-hate relationship with the word "random" and how I plan to break free from its grip!

When I first started this blog, using "random" seemed like a convenient way to describe anything unexpected or out of the ordinary. It was a versatile word that I could employ to add a touch of unpredictability to my anecdotes and narratives. Whether it was an impromptu trip to a new place or a quirky encounter with a stranger, "random" became my go-to adjective to capture those moments that defied the mundane.

But, as with any linguistic crutch, overusing the word "random" had its consequences. It started to feel like a filler word, a linguistic shortcut I leaned on without giving much thought. Upon re-reading my older posts, I couldn't help but cringe at the sheer number of times I had inserted "random" into my writing. It was becoming a cliche, diluting the impact of my storytelling and turning it into a repetitive and lacklustre experience.

Awareness was the first step towards change. Recognising my overuse of "random" allowed me to take a step back and understand why I was relying on it so much. Digging deeper, I realised that my desire to sound relatable and quirky might have fuelled this overuse. "Random" had become a security blanket, masking the vulnerability of embracing unique and authentic storytelling.

To break free from this cycle, I’m challenging myself to find alternative words and expressions that convey the same spirit of surprise and spontaneity. Instead of "random", I can start using "unexpected," "unforeseen," "serendipitous," or even "whimsical" to paint vivid pictures of the moments I want to share with you, my readers. These words can add depth and nuance to my writing, and breathe new life into my narratives.

Additionally, I learned the importance of context. While "random" might still have its place in casual conversations and informal writing, using it thoughtfully and sparingly in my blog posts was crucial to maintaining the impact of the word. Contextualising its usage made it feel more intentional, rather than a default descriptor.

Moreover, I believe that incorporating personal reflections and emotional connections into my storytelling will help minimise the urge to rely on cliches like "random". By delving into the emotions that these moments evoke in me, I can convey their significance more effectively and create a lasting impression on my readers, hopefully.

In conclusion, embracing my overuse of "random" has been a valuable journey in linguistic self-awareness. As a writer blogger, whom no one has ever heard of, it's essential to constantly challenge myself, acknowledge my linguistic crutches, and seek ways to improve my craft. Words hold immense power, and using them with intentionality can elevate our storytelling to new heights.

So, from now on, you can expect a fresher and more thoughtfully crafted writing style on this blog. Let's bid adieu to the overused "random" and welcome a more diverse and exciting range of adjectives into our literary arsenal.

Thanks for joining me on this reflective journey! Until next time, keep writing and exploring the wonderful world of language!

Randomly Rambling

It's 10:33 pm on Saturday night, and here I am, just waking up from my slumber, feeling a bit sweaty. I fell asleep in front of the TV again. I was watching WHAT/ IF on Netflix. My husband isn't back from the mosque yet. I don't remember him telling me if he would be going to talaqqi after Isya'. That's actually his Thursday or Friday night routine. I checked my phone, no messages nor calls from him, but no worries, I'll just take this moment to jot down how my day went, or rather, how my husband and I spent it together.

So, this morning started way too early at 2 am. Yeah, 2 FRIGGING AM. After a quick bathroom trip, I fed my cats their kibbles (this is my little routine whenever I wake up in the middle of the night). Then I made my way upstairs to the guest room. I prefer sleeping (or doing just about anything) in this room now because it's the only one with AC, and the nights can get pretty hot (let alone in daytime). Anyway, I decided to scroll through Facebook and TikTok until around 3:30 am. Then, I thought to myself, "You know what, I'm going to join my husband for breakfast today." So off to the shower I went, because I had to leave the house with him at dawn (it's his daily routine to pick up my mom-in-law at her place in Sembulan after Subuh prayer and take her to the Kota Kinabalu market).

After that little task was done, we headed to the OldTown White Coffee Gaya Street outlet, the one we visited on Wednesday where I spent a half day doing my work, remember? I ordered half-boiled eggs on toasts again, but this time, I also had some noodles and a cup of hot white coffee. My husband went for the rice and chicken rendang, although he originally wanted fried chicken, which was unavailable. Odd. *shrugs* He also had the kaya+butter toasts, just like last time, and the drink that I had on Wednesday.

I don't know why I'm getting into the nitty-gritty details of my day, but hey, let's move on. After a satisfying breakfast, we made a trip to JPJ at UTC to pick up a physical road tax, even though I already got the digital version. My husband insisted on having a physical copy, so there we were. But guess what? Turns out, I have to claim it from the Bundusan headquarters (on Monday or any working day) because I purchased the digital road tax through MyEG instead of JPJ's website. Sigh, what a waste of time and energy. Oh well, these things happen, right? While at the JPJ UTC office, we ran into my uncle, Pacik Nawi! He was there to renew his road tax too. We had a little catch up and parted ways to continue with our respective errands of the day.

Next stop was Centrepoint, but since it was still pretty early at 9:30 am, most of the lights weren't even on yet.

We thought about catching a movie later, maybe Barbie, but my husband wasn't too keen on the idea. Since nothing else interesting was showing based on the Growball Cinemax website, we went straight ahead to do a little shopping for some chocolates and cookies for ourselves and also my bestie, No Joke. Poor thing, she injured both her legs after landing on her knees during netball training, so we decided to surprise her with the chocolates and cookies, and also her favourite McD cheeseburger. It's been ages since I last saw her. The last time we spent time together was during the brief visit she made to my place back in end-May. Life's been keeping her busy with netball and silat practices, and everything else in between.

I actually wanted to go see Barbie with her and Farah. But of course, that couldn’t happen due to the incident, which left No Joke bedridden, unable to walk normally. A little background story: Farah is in the same netball team as No Joke; Farah and I went to the same primary and secondary schools, but only became friends in Form 4; while No Joke and I first met in Form 1 and became besties since Form 2.

From left: Yours truly, Farah, No Joke 💗

I hope she has a swift recovery, insya-Allah. She mentioned taking a break from netball for at least a year, and while I felt a twinge of mixed emotions, I know it's essential for her well-being. I admit, I sometimes felt a bit left out since she and Farah got deeply involved in netball, playing in tournaments even in Brunei. She was supposed to play in a tournament in Kota Belud too. Too bad, that also couldn’t happen now. But hey, everything happens for a reason and there is definitely a hikmah behind all of this. Maybe this is a sign for her to take some time for herself. And she absolutely deserves the rest and care. She has been taking care of her family all this time, so it’s her turn now. This may make me sound a little selfish, but I hope we get to spend more time after this. I missed my best friend.

Speaking of which, my husband is back now. Turns out he did go to talaqqi and a kenduri afterward. All is well, I suppose.

Thriving Through the Work Whirlwind

Phew! Just wrapped up the day's work and survived our monthly team meeting. Today was a wild rollercoaster work-wise, but hey, it's bearable because I'm currently stationed at my favourite cafe, October Coffee House (well, it's actually the second cafe/restaurant I visited today after OldTown White Coffee, where I spent my morning till noon). You might wonder, why not work from home as per the usual? Well, I had this paranoia that my place might experience yet another blackout like it did yesterday and the day before. Can't risk losing precious time due to power outages! I had a mission to send a daily report for QC by 12.15 pm sharp (spoiler alert: I missed the QC deadline, but we somehow got it out to the client by 1 pm, hooray for us!). The pressure was on, considering it was a new thing for all of us, and to make things more thrilling, it was my first time working on the report (my colleague Aina handled it during the first round). Talk about a nerve-racking joyride!

And hold onto your hats, because here's the real kicker: my workload for the month isn't even close to being finished yet! Can you believe it? My team and I are about to embark on a wild ride, trying to churn out not one, but two more papers on top of our usual assignments, all before the month comes to an end (or at least early next month). Insane, right? It's like we're riding a rollercoaster through a tornado of work, but hey, we're ready to embrace the crazy and conquer it all! Let's buckle up and make this month one for the books!

10 Random Questions Part 5

1. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

I used to daydream about having either Invisibility or Telepathy as my superpower, but lately, I've become enamoured with the idea of Time Travel, which is undeniably captivating. Just imagine journeying back to iconic moments like The Beatles era, basking in the presence of legends like Kurt Cobain, or reliving cherished memories from our childhood. The allure of being a time traveller lies not only in revisiting the past but also venturing forward into the unknown future. However, I must admit that the prospect of peering into the future frightens me a little. There's a certain beauty in the mystery that the future holds, and I'd rather not know the precise details of my life's unfolding events. The fear of learning about when and how I’d leave the world, whether I’d still be married to my husband, or the impending doomsday is enough to make me hesitant about unravelling the secrets of time.

2. What's your favourite book or movie and why does it resonate with you?

Image Source: Film School Rejects

500 Days of Summer is always going to be one of my all-time favourite movies not only because of the perfect combination of Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but also for its heartfelt and thought-provoking characteristics. It resonates with me because I appreciate its realistic portrayal of relationships, its quirky humour, its memorable soundtrack (Indie pop and alternative?? Yasssss), the themes of heartbreak, self-discovery, and personal growth as well as the nuanced exploration of love, life, and the complexities of human connections. And I could also really relate to Tom. I used to see myself as the female version of Tom Hansen. Getting severely heart-broken and not feeling like getting up to go to work, and eventually quitting the job? Been there, done that.

3. If you could travel back in time, which historical era would you visit and what would you do there?

Okay, this is kinda creepy because I just talked about wanting to have Time Travel as a superpower. 😱 But if I had to choose a historical era to visit (apart from The Beatles and Nirvana eras), I would choose The Renaissance period for the artistic and cultural treasures. I would visit Renaissance cities such as Florence, Rome, Venice, or Paris and be immersed by the culture, art, and music of the time.

4. What is one skill or hobby you've always wanted to learn but haven't had the chance to yet?

Playing the HARMONICA. Ugh. Yes! I'd love to learn how to play a harmonica. I almost signed up for a harmonica class when I was still living in KL 10,000 years ago, but I chickened out because I didn't have anyone to go with. I was too afraid to do it on my own. I wish I wasn't though.

5. If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would it be and why?

HARRY POTTER. Need I say more??

6. What's your go-to comfort food or favourite cuisine?

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM.

7. If you could have dinner with any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you talk about?

Obviously, Kurt Cobain. And I would ask him how he really, actually died.

8. What's your favourite place you've ever visited, and what made it so special to you?

Image Source: iStock

Madinah. Ya Allah, if I could turn back time (again with the time travelling theme 😄) to that moment when I felt really at peace. I miss that feeling. Subhanallah. I'm so grateful for it. Semoga dapat pegi lagi nanti dengan suami aku pulak, insya-Allah aaaminnnn...

9. If you had the opportunity to change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?

Hm macam tau-tau jak kan 10 random questions generator ni. 😅 Well, this is what I posted on Threads the other day, word by word.

"If someone asked me the one thing that I want for this world right now, it would be less discrimination. I don't wanna discriminate or judge people for their chosen lifestyles, what they wanna wear, their sexual orientation or whatever, and I also don't wanna get discriminated or judged for sticking to my religious beliefs. Can we just do that? I'm sick of it. Truly. I just want peace."

10. What's the most adventurous or daring thing you've ever done in your life?

Going on that compulsory Outward Bound Sabah trip when I was in Lower Form 6. We were made to go hiking, rock climbing, flying-foxing, kayaking, etc. Imagine ME doing all that.

Random Stuff Going On Inside My Head

Pejam celik, pejam celik, tiba-tiba mau habis suda bulan Julai tinggal berapa hari jak lagi. Haha. My last blog post was in January. I got too busy with work and kinda forgot about my daily blogging target. 😅 So many things had happened in between. And yes, I managed to complete the Google Data Analytics Course by the end of May, alhamdulillah. My husband and I had our 4th anniversary celebration on June 8 at Borneo Beach Villas and we continued staycationing at the Toojou hotel the following day. My workplace bestie Aina came to visit KK for a couple of days in mid-June. I (and actually my husband too hehe) took her on a tour of KK for a whole day on June 22. We were only able to take her to spots within KK coz she had a "curfew" so we couldn't go to places outside the town centre. My husband and I balik kampung and spent a couple of nights in Sipitang for the Raya Haji holiday. We went camping FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER in early July at Polumpung Melangkap View Camp Site for two nights. Ugh so many interesting activities!! And I hope we continue to do this at least once a month.

This week is going to be a busy week for me too until at least the end of month. Last week was the busiest week I've had since so long. That's alright I guess because the 1st two weeks of July, my workload was so light, like, I didn't have anything to submit on most days so I spent my free time reinstalling The Sims 4 on my laptop (and playing it of course 😅).

Anyways, I'm super glad that I didn't go to the Good Vibes Festival 2023. It turned out to be a disaster because of that one stupid band whose name I'm not even going to mention in here. I'm so glad I didn't purchase the tickets to the supposedly 3-day festival. By now everybody already knows what went down so there is no need for me to repeat the outrageous story here. It just makes me feel sick. Not in a disgusted way, but just tired. I long for the world where we can actually accept each others' differences, where no one feels entitled to shove their beliefs, their ideology down other people's throats.

It's very hypocritical of them for wanting us to accept their so-called progressive ideas, but at the same time refuse to accept the fact that not everyone thinks the way they do, not everyone wants to live the way they do. It's hypocrite of them for not wanting to be viewed as some kind of monster but that is how they look at us. EVIL EXTREMIST MONSTERS. Isn't that ironic? What happens to no prejudice, no judgment, no discrimination? Just like they don't want to be discriminated or judged for the lifestyle that they chose, for their sexual orientation, I also don't want to be discriminated for sticking to my faith, my religious beliefs. I just want PEACE.

Eh tibehhhh jak aku haha. Sekarang ni semua terbalik suda. Kita yg mau stick pada ajaran agama plak yg kena pandang serong. Dituduh kolot. Berlagak holier-than-thou. Dan macam-macam lagi la. And on a completely different note, what is up with Elon Musk planning on changing the name of Twitter to X? X?????? X???????? Ih suda la, tiba-tiba jak bertukar mood kan. 😑