Good Scents

Siang Pure Oil Ointment (scent that I love):

My grandma gave me this particular bottle of ointment just so that I can bring it to hall. I believe that ointment is every elderly’s best friend (perhaps this is the reason why people associate them with elderly people). Have a headache? Apply the ointment. Have a insect bite? Apply the ointment. Have a blocked nose? Sniff the ointment. You get my point.

Many people dislike the smell of ointment because it’s very strong and distinct. However, the smell of ointment is very comforting to me. I love the smell of it mainly because it reminds me of my grandmother. Since my parents were busy working, she was the one who took care of me when I was in kindergarten. Like any restless and bored child, I remember playing at the void deck and playgrounds around my grandma’s house, and finding all sorts of ways to entertain myself. I also clearly remember waking my grandma up whenever she dozes off!

 

Allow me to sidetrack a litte…

 

Durian (scent that Fendi dislikes):

I LOVE the taste and smell of durian! Since durians are heaty and shouldn’t be consumed too often, it is always a luxury when my family decides eat them. My family isn’t a close-knit one, so this is one of few ways that can bring all my family members together in the same room at the same time. Even though we may not have intimate conversations while eating durian, I still appreciate and cherish the presence of all my family members. While I do love durian, I have to acknowledge that the smell sticks with me for a long time and it’s difficult to get rid of…

 

Old books (scent that Xuan Wei likes):

As my brother is 6 years older than me, the books that he read back then were too advanced for me, so I turned to children’s books instead. The very first book that I ever read was ‘Black Beauty’ by Anna Sewell’. I was only Primary 1 back then, and I bought this book mainly because I thought that the horse on the cover was cute. But thankfully it was a great story! That was how my love for reading began.

To me, stories are portals to fantastical worlds that will never occur in real life, it is an escape for me and helps me to relax. I love it when I’m so into a book that I lose track of time and reality. In primary school, my parents (especially my dad) supported my love for reading by bringing me to the nearby National Library every Sunday to borrow books. The reading programme that my primary school had helped a lot too! Like the ointment, I associate books with my childhood and they have made my childhood a lot more enjoyable! This hobby follows me even till today! My favourite author is Haruku Murakami because his stories are so strange and intriguing. I tried to read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R Tokien, but gave up halfway through the first book. Instead, I tried reading ‘The Hobbit’ instead, I’m halfway through it but haven’t made any progress for almost a year…

 

Bad Scents

Organic blackstrap molasses (scent I dislike):

Disclaimer: Girl problem ahead.

This organic blackstrap molasses has a pungent and sticky smell that made me want to gag when I first smelled it, so I was shocked when some classmates said that they like this smell! I drink this every day because it helps to cope with my menstrual cramps.

My cramps used to be so bad that it would cause me to vomit and render me crippled. There would be days when I would just sleep on the toilet floor because the toilet bowl would be there for me when I need to puke, and I was in too much pain to walk anyway. It wasn’t like I didn’t do anything to try to reduce the pain. I tried taking painkillers, didn’t work. I abstained from cold drinks and fast food, didn’t work. I used hot water bottles, to the point where my skin would be scalded, still didn’t work. I remember lying on the floor at my wits end because I can’t imagine having to live with this for the next few decades of my life. The cramps affected my performance at work because I couldn’t concentrate at all. I heard that blackstrap molasses helps. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for it but decided to give it a try since there’s no harm anyway. To my surprise, it works! Even though the molasses is a lifesaver for me, I am still struggling with the smell of it. That’s why whenever I drink it, I would hold my breath to lessen this torture.

 

Car smell (scent that Bala dislikes):

To be more specific, it’s the taxi smell that I detest. Taxis with this beady seat covers have the strongest bad scent, based on my personal experience. I feel nauseous just by thinking about it right now. Taxi rides themselves give me motion sickness, as if that’s not bad enough, the smell makes it worse. I don’t know what constitutes of this specific taxi smell, but for some reason many taxis have the same exact smell that makes me dizzy. It is as if all the taxi uncles decide to get the same scent from the same horrendous company!