Boys and girls are made very different indeed. While the boys are busy catching tadpoles, the girls are dreaming of their future. How beautiful their wedding will be, the handsome prince that they will marry and the gorgeous flat that she will decorate.

Hai...such wondrous fantasies.

I used to have fantasies like that. But never in any of my fantasies could I have imagined I would eventually end up with a white man who can't tan, in a small quaint and old town in a cold European country, occasionally encoutering deer and cows in the backyard of my parents in law's house.

Life is full of quirky twists and turns.

My first boyfriend had been what I would say a pretty normal selection for me, looking at what I had to select from. He was Malay like me, living in a 4 room flat with his family and went to the same school as me.

Even though I realised we didn't really have much in common and that he is a typical malay Mat Rockers, I didn't care cos I was full of puppy love for the guy.

Now for all the clueless folks out there, allow me to explain what a malay Mat is like. They are of cos Malay, tend to be sporty, love soccer with a passion, usually think they tell the best jokes but it's very lame and thinks that they are ROCK musicians. Now some of them may be talented with a instrument, no doubt, and for those who are not imagine themselves to be talented singers, which they usually aren't. They love rocks groups like Metallica, Bon Jovi, Deep Purple (you get the idea). And for those really into the rock music, some guitarist with wild, untamed hair called Yngwie Malmstein is a hot favourite.

My ex-boyfriend was one such individual. And unfortunately, he falls into the singing category cos the fella can't play the but fancies himself the lead rock singer. Let's just say that even during my throes of love with him, I would laugh when I saw him singing along to his guitar playing mates. Such concentration, such passion and yet so little talent...YIKES!

And so because I had to endure 2 years of such an eye opening experience, I swore never to date a Mat Rocker again. And I was successful for many years and I thought that I would never walk down that rocky path again.

And here I am, 6 years since the end of that era, sitting at my desk typing away in my marital home and finally accepting the truth that the very man I married..is a Mat.

A white Mat. A very white, very rocker Mat.

And while I am pouring my heart, soul and voice into this blog, he is behind me pounding away on one of his 6 electric guitars using his one of 2 amps.

And how do I know I have married a Mat? A species I thought I never again touch again?

I have 2 amps for his electric guitars that come up to my waist to my right, a bookcase that houses nothing but hundreds (really!!) of his rock CDs and concert DVDs (yes, concerts!) to my left and behind me sits his beautiful and latest white electric guitar (his last beloved guitar was gold. GOLD!).

3 Ominous signs of his embedded Mat-hood.

Remember Yngwie Malmstein? I did not remember his name bcos I still reminisce and refuse to forget everything my old boyfriend told me. It's because a copy of this famous (infamous to me) guitarist is staring at my left ear right now. And I know that a few more CDs of his are lying in wait on the shelves above and below it. My husband thinks he's a great guitarist. My old boyfriend thought that he was the greatest guitarist to have ever lived.

If that does not check off another box of the Mat criteria, I dunno what will.

Granted that my husband is a pretty talented guitarist and has been playing since his early teenhood with a decent band and a few CDs produced to his name. It still does not take away his Mat-ness.

He does not serenade me even though he plays the elctric guitar cos in his own words, I DO NOT SERENADE. Hmm...yea, he doesn't. What he does instead is sing me silly songs I've never heard of like Don't Eat the Yellow Snow and some other songs which are totally inappropriate to repeat on public domain. Apart from that, he can scream a few really high notes which may be impressive when I'm in the mood. So I suppose he DOES serenade...just not the way I thought I would be serenaded.

And jokes, well, let's just say that sometimes I laugh just because they are so unfunny. Hmm...that sounds very familiar..my dear old friends would know why.

So let review shall we?

Passion for rock music. CHECK.

Thinks he's a rock singing star. CHECK.

Lame jokes. CHECK.

Yup, he is a certified MAT ROCKER.

But just like in the first time I encountered such an untamed, unfunny, delusional but passionate creature, I am in love.

What's the difference this time? Well, I actually enjoy listening to him play his guitar, he knows when to stop singing, and he respects my dislike of rock music enough to play his rock music and concerts only when I'm busy in the kitchen. And we have a lot more in common that I dare to admit.

I suppose I should learn my lesson from all this.

Mutual respect is very important in a relationship, accepting my partner's individuality and quirks, having rooms to escape each other from and most importantly, NEVER SWEAR OFF ANYTHING. It may be the very thing you end up with. And very happily too.