RuMAH tErBuKA and dUit RaYA..

Had dinner with the Ratu semalam and he reminded me to blog about the rumah terbuka that I attended on Monday.

Hmm.. Rumah terbuka. Definition? Open house lah kan. Where friends and relatives are invited for makan-makan. It's normally by invitation sebab takkan nak crash into someone's house kan?

But when a minister ada 'rumah terbuka', does it also mean that it's only restricted to invited guests? If it's a minister's house, should the public be allowed to drop by? I mean, a minister is a public figure and granted, well known by the public lah kan? (Err.. am I going round in circles here?)

Well anyway, Ratu yang sorang ni la "lupa" nak jemput some friends, and some drama ensued. Ayo. Kenapa nak kecik hati ni semua? If it's a minister's function, pergi je lah. It's not like the minister would care pun. I'm sure she didn't know 90 per cent of the guests hari tu..

Hmmm.. anyway, because of the Ratu, some of us dapat duit raya dari the minister. I spent ALL of it on the Ratu - we had good, scrumptious dinner - so no one can accuse me for getting "free money". By the way, Ratu dearest, I have covered your boss a number of times okay? I followed her a few times masa election, I covered her during one of her first few meetings at her ministry and I've done a number of stories on the "association" that she once headed.

There are journalists, and there are journalists.

I fall under the "journalist bodoh" category. I don't network, I don't make contacts and I don't stand out. I've followed some ministers around, but sadly, I don't think any of them remembered my name. I just don't know how to make small talk with them, I don't push myself to them and I definitely don't try to get chummy-chummy with them.

I know some journalists who are on a first name basis with some of the ministers, but unfortunately, definitely not me. I asked questions during Press conferences, but never hang around long enough to chat with them.

You see, journalists like me will never make it big in the news industry. We'll never be rich or get contracts or have a minister to back us up when we're in trouble. Journalists like me will never become Press secretaries or rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Journalists like me hardly get "stuff" during festive seasons, struggles to get a promotion and is hardly talked about.

But I'm not complaining. Oh no. Frankly, I never wanted to become a flambouyant journalist. I'm too reserved.

I am a journalist because I love writing. I love to share my thoughts with other people and I want to write things that matter to me. Which is why I'm happy at what I'm doing at the moment. Most people "brush off" my desk as unimportant (sebab I don't cover stuff deemed "important" in the journalism industry such as politics and business), but I really don't give a shit. Not right now, anyway.

Oh my.. I'm rambling. Again. Now nak cari Cik Sabb so that we can both makan sushi.. hehe. And get a new phone charger. I bought a ciplak one two weeks ago and it's now kaput. Sheesh. Cheap things are NOT good things! heheh..

Peace.