A few days back my varsity decided to send all the student ambassadors for a grooming class. And they’d asked one of the most pro image consultant in the whole of Asia – Ms Dolly Kee from Image Power to, sorta teach us how to behave, poise and stand out gracefully. When I was first told bout it, I didn’t really give a shit about it, to me, I’m already an expert in grooming, like, hello, do you want to teach me how to style my hair?

Relunctantly I went for the session. She. I must say, is one of the few ladies who gave me the most vivid first impression ever. She styled herself like a man, with her cynic smile and the CK perfume (I’m a bit sensitive to smell) she totally took control of the whole situation. She managed to leave us speechless most of the time, but she too, made us laugh like mad very frequently.

If you ask me what did I learn from her session, my answer wouldn’t be how I should laugh, the right way to sit, the right way to cross my legs, the colour coordination that I should use for my shirts and pants… It would be how important a person’s first impression is.

Speaking of which. I have always been taking people’s first impression easily. There’s this girl whom I thought was kinda silly and lala, to me she would probably be a laughing matter for her friends, the stigma was so serious to the extend that I wouldn’t bother to say hi to her in campus, my bad. After knowing her for some time I realised she has one of the purest heart that a girl could probably seek for. Though her way of persuing things that she wants is a bit… extraordinary. Yes, she has fantasies. But you’ll probably feel shameful if you compare your lusty, materialistic fantasy to hers. Angelic.

On the contrary, there’s this guy whom I think, well, friendly upon first impression? And bet about it, he soon influenced people around him like nobody’s business, people started telling each other how down to earth this guy is. Of course, that’s what I thought too. Nevertheless after sometime, people started to backfire him. I was puzzled. Because one moment I heard someone singing praises to him, anohter moment someone stabbed him in front of me. Not knowing him “very well”, I was confused, especially he treated me “not-bad-well”. Only until recently that I really see through his personality. How cruel the truth is when in real life, there’re people who really pick friends – friends that could probably benefit you. Ah. cheap skate.

Maybe I’m wrong after all.

Perception is something subjective, Ms Dolly told me, over the lunch.

She said I mirrored her when she was young, during the first break, when I joined the crowd late. I thought it wasn’t really a compliment so I didn’t pay much attention talking to her. She went on and tell me about the art of listening and speaking and that was when I pretended that I’m enggaged very much into her conversation. And I can’t help but to remember myself discovering a dirty secret of somebody, a public enemy. I could, after all, tell my friends about it and laugh about it since that somebody is sort of a public enemy. But I decided not to. Because it wouldn’t be good, and Ms Dolly probably wouldn’t say it too, if she thinks from my shoe.

Your image is your power. Her slogan. So cliche, gave me goosebums all over my body. But come to think about it. How true it is. And that, is the ugly truth:)

I like the song, A pocket full of sunshine, in the movie “The Ugly Truth”

Drunk. Too much fruit juice.