Shoeshine

Sometimes You Can't Help But Judge The Cover

2011-11-24T01:14:00.000+08:00

I met a friend of mine who was miserable because at the age of 29, she was still having acne. I knew exactly how she felt and how damaging it could be to your self esteem. I suffered from pimples on my face, neck, back and chest for about 14 years before I finally found a cure! While the cure was not permanent, it opened a door to a whole new world for me. A world where I can finally be comfortable talking to people, without thinking that they are actually counting the spots on my face. A world where I can tie my hair up and wear boatneck blouse.

I thought that once I hit 20, these pimples would go away. Wrong. I tried every over-the-counter cream available in the market. I stopped eating chocolates and ice creams for a year. Still, pimples were popping out like Super Mario Bros mushrooms.

Maybe I had some crazy weird skin, that dermatologists might be interested to study and hopefully would name a pimple cream after me. So to the doctors I went. Major disappointment. Six out of seven doctors I went to told me not to worry so much as these pimples were hormon-related.

"What does that mean, Dr?"

"Well, it simply means that your skin will clear up after you get married".

Bloody hell. Get laid to get rid of these spots? My hormonal-related pimples were then treated with a kind of contraceptive pill. It helped in reducing the number of pimples, but I was still not happy. That's when I met my hero doctor, Dr. Ruban Nathan who told me what other doctors should have told me. My pimples were not going to go away. It's genetic. Now what?

He gave me Roaccutane. A vitamin A derivative taken orally in pill form. You take it daily for a 6-10 month course. Within the third week, my skin improved tremendously. But it came with a price - extreme skin dryness for me. My lips were flaky and swollen they looked like I'd stuffed them with silicone. I also experienced hair overgrowth especially on my breasts. Of course, side effects differ for everybody. For the famous yoga teacher Ninie, if my memory serves me well, she said it caused her joint pain. Must be difficult for her to do yoga in that condition. This pill worked for me therefore, I advise those suffering with severe acne to take this. You will not be disappointed. Having said that, this should only be taken with recommendation and prescription from CERTIFIED DOCTORS. It has many side effects you need to be aware of before you take this pill.

I'm no longer on Roaccutane, after completing my course years ago. I now depend on topical cream prescribed by Dr. Ruban which is still awesome if you hate taking pills. But there's one thing that I will miss about Roaccutane.

That's not my skin peeling, those white things were my blackheads literally squeezing themselves out of my skin. Best thing ever.

Checking In, Not In Foursquare

2011-11-10T08:50:00.000+08:00

Hey wassssuuuupppp....

Long hiatus, I know.

I had too many things to handle (don't we all)

and this blog - I had to close it down for while for some design work.

But as you can see it's still not done,

in fact it needs some more changes.

Obviously I'm taking my time (oh hello, procrastination)

In fact, too long for my own good, I have stacks of unfinished writing works waiting for me

At first they were just staring at me,

and then glaring at me with their fiery red notes written on them

And now they are just begging me to get them over and done with.

This is just me saying hi and checking in.

And a reminder to myself to never stop writing.

and start doing my work godammit.

Revamp

2011-05-11T23:28:00.001+08:00

I'm in the process of revamping and cleaning up my blog. Thanks for being patient!

Hugs and kisses.

Spanish Love

2011-05-09T03:00:00.002+08:00

I asked my friend who went to Spain to buy me these and imagine my excitement when she handed them to me! She managed to buy only 3 items as the rest were in big sizes and some of them looked better in photos than in real life so knowing my finickiness, my friend decided not to buy them.

This is a colorful silk blouse. Originally I wanted the dress but only size 40 was available. Beautiful nevertheless!

Comfortable maxi dress made from T-shirt material. It looks and feels thick but the other day I wore it to go back to my hometown, my mother pointed out to me that it was see through. Lucky thing I was in the car the whole time.

I actually wanted this dress in blue. Glad she took this one because it looks much sweeter in this shade of pink.

Thank you Adila!

Mama's Traits

2011-05-08T13:54:00.004+08:00

I wish I could post my favorite photo of my mom here but I think she'd disown me if I did. It was taken when she was about 25, wearing a micro mini and really high wedges. Quite a fashionista who couldn't care less about practicality considering it was a candid shot of her chasing my then 2 year-old cousin who she was babysitting. It was a lovely photo of her, so beautiful, so slender and carefree.

How I hoped she'd pass down those traits to me but unfortunately what I got from her was her coarse wavy hair and problem skin (hers was not bad, but once it's in the genes...)! It was so bad I had to see a skin specialist and suffered from low self esteem. I think deep down, she feels guilty and that is why she never ceases showering me with abundance of motherly love! Having said that, I did get the good traits; her creativity and her smile.

I called her today to wish her and told her that I'd bring her present later. Usually she'd just say thanks, no need la but can you buy me SKII big bottle because mine has finished and all that but today she screamed,"I DONT WANT PRESENTS I WANT GRANDCHILDREN!!!".

My mom is putting pressure on me to be a mom on Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day Present

2011-05-08T12:40:00.003+08:00

My mom doesn't know this yet but I'm getting her an iPad 2 which I'm really hoping she'd love. At first I thought of buying her a laptop so she can play her Qur'anic CDs apart from tending her Farmville on facebook and forwarding emails containing lists of non-halal certified restaurants, shampoo, etc. to me.
But I think this is sufficient enough for her to learn her way around quickly and effortlessly. Plus there are a lof of Islamic applications for iPad so there should no problem for her. And with the addictive Veggie Samurai game in it, I have a feeling my father will demand I buy him one too!

Bright Saturday

2011-05-08T01:52:00.002+08:00

Had to do my blood test today to check my glucose level but the result will only be out on Tuesday. I really hope that everything will turn out OK and my blood sugar level is normal because I'm not ready to give up my love for ice cream!

I went to Pathlab in Jalan Telawi 5 and I took a package that cost me RM260. They will run 60 different tests including tumor markers, renal and liver functions and hepatitis on your blood and urine sample. You could also add on supplementary tests such as cancer and cardiac markers.

I could just purchase the glucose test only but I remembered my gynae was telling me that he wanted me to do a blood test on my next visit to check my calori intake. So might as well.

I'm worried about that too because I only take milk with cereals. You know one of Anlene advertisements where they show how the weblike cells slowly breaking down when there's not enough calcium in your body? Freaking gives me goosebumps! I can't even watch Colgate advertisement where they knock on the tooth to test its calcium strength. OK, having goosebumps now!

Colorful Bottoms

2011-05-07T22:43:00.000+08:00

via source

via ASOS

via source

I have always been insecure about my hips. I think they are too wide for my body but looking at these gorgeous pants, maybe I should be bold, ignore the sartorial rules and head down to the nearest store for bright colored bottoms!

What's Your Weekend Plan?

2011-05-06T12:12:00.001+08:00

via source

DonC and I will be busy house shopping. We are so excited!
This is a huge and a lifelong commitment (after marriage, of course) so naturally we are also scared that we won't be able to cope with all the inevitable changes, for instance tighter budget. A lot of things need to be done and most importantly, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!

Any of you bought a home recently? Useful tips are much appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

The Hours

2011-05-03T09:40:00.001+08:00

Waiting for the Queen

I love this picture taken by Tiah (our friend who has been selected as one of the participants in the upcoming TVshow called Sejuta Impian!) during one of our friends' birthday party yesterday at The Bee, Jaya One.

*Photo was taken from Tiah's facebook.

Spiked Glucose Level

2011-05-03T01:34:00.001+08:00

via source

I have a sweet tooth. I fancy chocolates, ice cream, dessert, macarons, cupcakes, anything sweet. But I have been blessed with no family history of diabetics and I make sure I burn all the calories that I shove straight to my hips.

Overconfident is never good because last weekend while working at the company's event, I went to one of the booth that offered free medical check-up and I found out that while my BMI was normal, I had gained 1 kg (gasp!!!). Worst of all, my glucose level was 10.3 - 2 points above normal level! So I called my mom, and being the strict clinical instructor that she was, scolded me for being careless as apparently at 10.3 you are considered diabetic already!

So for now, no more consuming sweet food and drinks and no more eating after 7pm for me. I need to take a blood test tomorrow to find out if I'm really diabetic or if the durians I had the night before contribute to the high spike of my blood sugar level. If it's the latter, damn you durians!!!

Working Mode

2011-04-30T08:34:00.000+08:00

via source

I'm off to Pahang for work. Oh, how I wish it was somewhere near the beach.
Happy Saturday, Sunday and Monday everyone!

W & K

2011-04-29T11:26:00.000+08:00

I was feeling a bit under the weather and had to take a medical leave last Wednesday. I'm still on medication and I really hope I will recover quickly as I need all my strength to attend a 2 day exhibition program in one of the east coast states.

In regards to the century's most talked about wedding, both Will and Kate look like they suit each other so yay for them! I prefer bad boy Harry and his on-off-on again-off again beau, Chelsy Davy (more fun!) to them hence, my unconcernedness.

But, a girl can never passes an opportunity to play dress up. Here's what I would wear if I were invited to the wedding. Tee heee.

1. Alexander McQueen Embellished crepe wrap gown
2. Diane Von Furstenberg Leopard-print snakeskin clutch
3. Aurelie Bidermann Mamba 18-karat gold-plated snake cuff
4. Christian Louboutin Exclu 140 lace and satin slingbacks

Usually in British weddings the ladies wear hats or fascinators but I thought it'd be too much for my outfit.

Twosome: Our Songs

2011-04-26T19:02:00.000+08:00

I'm sure many of you have watched My Best Friend's Wedding but have you read the script? The movie script is one of the best around and you know it'd be outstanding on screen when you are overcome with emotion like I did upon reaching this line,

"I don't have a wedding gift.
But this is on loan. Until you
two find a song..."

When we were first dating, DonC made me a mixed CD - a compilation of love songs that described how he felt about me. Good thing he has an excellent taste in music because I loved every single song that was on the CD (did I tell you it's now missing? Oh no!). OK fine, it was also due to the fact that I was already feeling something for him...

Out of all the songs in the CD, I love these two the most, thus they've become our love songs.

What's yours?

Highway Patrol

2011-04-26T12:53:00.001+08:00

This is the highway below our condominium. You will pass through it if you are coming from the PLUS tol heading towards the DUKE highway. This is a sharp and slippery curve; for the past few months at least one accident occurs on daily basis. Thankfully, all of them are just minor accidents. The highest number of accidents we counted so far - 7 accidents within minutes of each other.

When we first moved in, we would always run to the window every time we hear the sound of screeching tires. Now, we just look at each other, semi-expectantly waiting for the crash-boom-bang sound and if there's none, we'd continue doing our work. Morbidly nonchalant.

So any of you out there driving through this way, please be careful when negotiating the bend. We don't want to rush to the window and see you down there.

Hopefully No One Gets Hung Out To Dry

2011-04-25T10:17:00.000+08:00

This week is going to be pretty intense for me at work. We are planning an event and so far it hasn't been smooth sailing. But with good teamwork and faith, I'm sure we can prevail.
Here's to a productive Monday!

via Vintage Everyday

Saturday Hey!

2011-04-24T14:40:00.002+08:00

I can't get past page 70 of my 3rd draft script and it's way waaaay past the deadline! Honestly, I'm not so sure whether it's my procrastination or the mere fact that I don't believe in the story is deterring me from finishing it.

I need to get this over and done with, pronto!

Yesterday I had breakfast in Paandi PJ with DonC, where they serve the most awesome tosei + vervel chicken. But my friend, Nens who just came back from a holiday in India told me the food in India was just out of this world. Cannot ever be compared to all the Indian restaurants here.

"What about the food hygene?," I asked, "Because I heard that it's very dirty there."
"Out of the window!".

Well, that's always the case aint' it?
Never look beyond the kitchen door if the food is unbelievably delicious. You don't want to know what the 'secret ingredient' is!

Love going out early in the morning on weekends!

Afterwards, we went to Plaza Damas because DonC wanted to cut his hair. Usually we would go after work and that means many of the shops are closed. Anyway while waiting fo DonC to finish, I discovered this one shop called The Little Treasure Box that sells beautiful vintage clothing dated at the very least 30 years old! Apart from that, the owner Anne (very nice lady) makes and sells precious and semi precious jewelries. I plan to visit her shop again soon, this time with more cash.

Around noon, still full from our breakfast, we went home and watch the greatest love story of all - The Bridges of Madison County starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep! Both of us have watched this countless of times but this was the first time we were watching it together.

DonC was sitting in his chair and between us were piles of throw pillows obstructing our view from each other. I was crying quietly and when I peeked, I saw DonC was crying too!

My tears + foundation-stained top.

About 3 pm I went to my netball match in Bangi. Came back hungry of course and decided to go Tony Roma's in 1 Mont Kiara. Love the new menu, the location (so near our place!) and ambience.

P/s: My mom's birthday is this Tuesday but her present hasn't arrived yet!

2011-04-23T09:24:00.000+08:00

If I had a lot of money to spend on a photo, I'd buy this.

Sharon Montrose is a genius. I can only imagine the chaos that ensues every time she has her photo sessions with all these animals! These are definitely in my wish list :)

More here.

Fishermen Village in Selangor

2011-04-22T21:07:00.000+08:00

This is the jetty area of Kampung Nelayan Sungai Haji Dorani, a fishermen village situated in Sungai Besar, Selangor. I was there to recce the village and determine whether it was suitable for our company's CSR Kampung Angkat (Adopted Village) program.

There are two sides of Kampung Nelayan Sungai Haji Dorani. The one I went is nearer to the sea so they call it 'belah laut'. The other side of the village is near the paddy fields and that's why it is called 'belah bendang'. So the locals would always ask you, which part of that Kampung do you want to go, laut or bendang?

The company finally decided to choose Kampung Haji Dorani 'belah laut'. We found out that the fishermen in the village make an average between RM600-RM1000 per month. Whereas 'belah bendang' is doing really well in their agrotourism sector. Their homestays are well established and very popular.

This is my first time heading a CSR project which is also the first large-scale and long-term project for the company. I'm so excited and nervous!

In order to get to know the villagers, several staff and I had to spend a night at their homes. We were very much welcomed and were served with a lot of food! You just name it, moments later you'll see it in front of you. My boss and I were staying together in one of the houses, and she casually mentioned that she wanted to drink young coconut water. She went for a shower and when she came out there were buckets of freshly plucked young coconuts waiting for her!

The weather here as you can see in the picture, really really hot and dry. The sea breeze will make your throat itch and the salt particles will make your skin sticky and leave you uncomfortable.

Many of these villagers have to work really hard to earn a living so it's no surprise that they look older than their age. Their free time usually spent by hanging out on the verandah, chatting with neighbors. Some of the village children are straight A students but they lack opportunities which is a shame.

I know changes take time and it's quite a feat to do so especially when you have restricted budget. I really hope through this program we can, in a small way, affect and change their lives to a better future.

OJB

2011-04-21T10:35:00.000+08:00

OJB, today is Justin Bieber's Day!

I couldn't stand that lame haircut, OJB!!!! Good thing he decided to cut it. I was starting to think he was hiding his Klingon forehead. Turned out...normal. OJB.
"One Less Lonely Girl" must have been the most obnoxious, vile, cocky, narcissistic, vainglorious song title in the whole world. Oh-jay-bee!!!
So obvious that I'm not the least interested to go to his concert that's happening tonight, but guess who's going? My husband! OJFB!!!!

Despite all that, I admire this guy. I saw his docu/concert movie, and I think he rightly deserves this massive success. A guy from a small town, single handedly raised by his mom who had him when she was 18; every opportunity he got, you know he didn't get it on a silver platter.

But that's it. Nothing more I like about him.

So whatever DonC. I'm gonna go to my netball practice, which is like, mmm, MORE FUN okay!

OJB.

Twosome: Showing It All?

2011-04-19T16:32:00.013+08:00

via mutegramophone

Some may not be comfortable reading this
but a friend asked me an odd but honest question the other day.

Do you fart in front of your partner?
My reply, which was greeted by an incredulous stare, was a big NO.

According to my friend, this is not healthy for the relationship because apparently my partner and I are uncomfortable in our own skin and with each other.

For DonC and I, we are very comfortable with each other. It's just that we'd rather share and show many of the other stuff. I remember the first time I accidentally farted in front of him 4 months into the relationship, I was deathly mortified especially when he calmly said, "That's it. There's no turning back now."

What about bathroom issues? I know some people are OK having their partners in the bathroom together while doing their business, but not us. DonC gets agitated when I'm nearby even if I'm just outside the bathroom door waiting for my turn, as it makes him hard to stay focused! And even that, he would only let me go in after he thinks it's 'safe'.

Yes, I'm aware that's just another bodily function but I'd like to think that we have to keep some mystery in the relationship. You have years to discover about your partner, why reveal everything now?

Am I the only one who thinks this is normal?

I Don't Know How Many Times I've Told You This...

2011-04-17T10:26:00.003+08:00

...but I LOVE H&M!!!
Regardless of the affliction I have to endure (they don't deliver to Malaysia), I love browsing through H&M's oh-to-die-for collections online. H&M, in my personal opinion, produces better quality products, original designs and relatively cheaper than ZARA and Mango.

I had the chance to visit the H&M store for the first time in Hong Kong last year and really went crazy. All in all I spent RM700 for 2 skirts (one of them has gone missing due to the laundry's negligence!!!), 1 shirt, 3 dresses, 2 tops, 2 men's T-shirts and 1 men's jacket. Their beautiful (and very comfortable) dresses start at RM59. Try to spend that amount in ZARA and you'll get only a plain top.

I really hope H&M will open an outlet here soon but in the meantime, I don't have any other choice but to wait for friends to go on their overseas trips. Thankfully, a friend of mine is leaving for a holiday in Spain. I have researched on the prices, emailed the photos of the items that I like and hopefully she will bring home some of those H&M's goodies. Here are some of the latest collection of dresses that strike my fancy.

Fun In The Sun

2011-04-16T03:55:00.000+08:00

Wishing you a great weekend!

via studded hearts

Not So Sporty Me

2011-04-16T03:39:00.002+08:00

via designlovefest

Just when I thought I'd be resting this weekend, I was asked to be part of the company's netball team and practice starts tomorrow.
Here's the the thing, I don't know anything about netball!
Apart from netball, I have also been asked to play carrom, another game that I dont have a clue about. All I know is the game is like a pool game but instead of using cue stick, you use your fingers to pocket the carrom pieces.
I hope I will survive tomorrow.

While I'm not a sports avid, here are my top 5 favorite sports movies.

The Blind Side

Prior to this movie, I never liked Sandra Bullock even though many saw her (for a while) as America's sweetheart. But I must applaud her for her superb acting in this movie. In regards to sports, I like how through the analogy of sports we learn the compassionate instinct and protective intuition in Michael Oher. Also, it plays largely on the issue of racial differences, an element that is regularly used in many sports movies.

Remember The Titans

Another movie that portrays how racial differences means nothing when it comes to playing in a team. Reluctant at first, the whites and blacks eventually learn to get to know each other. One of the compelling scenes is when an injured white player who once refuses to play with blacks, now wants only his black brothers in the hospital room.

Jerry McGuire

A movie about trying to succeed in a difficult world of sports. It gives the audience insights into the greedy yet desperate world of the sports agents as well as the young and naive souls of athletes.

Black Swan

Yes, ballet is considered a kind of sport too! Years of rigorous perfectionism finally take its toll, physically and mentally. A road athletes want to avoid but many fail to.

Bring It On

"I'm bitchin, great hair. The boys all love to stare. I'm wanted, I'm hot. I'm everything you're not...Let's go Toros. We are the Toros. The mighty mighty Toros!!!!"

Don't lie. I know you remember the whole verse by heart.

Thank You For Sharing This, Dr.

2011-04-14T01:42:00.002+08:00

This wonderful blog - I discovered it through Zana Fauzi's twitter - is owned by a surgeon Dr Fadzlishah Johanabas who is also a talented wordsmith.
In this particular post, he was talking about how his job has taught him how fierce and strong a mother's love can be. In his short years in Neurosurgery, he had witnessed many mothers who paused their lives in order to give the best care to their comatose children.

I am emotionally touched by this post because it reminds me of the complicated relationship that I used to have with my mother.

Dr Fadzlishah wrote:

"...whenever I go through such instances, I think about my own mother, how lost I will be if I ever lose her. I get angry when she complains of new pains and aches; those are signs of aging, and she's not supposed to age. She's supposed to be here for all eternity..."

This was exactly how I felt when we discovered my mom had cancer. I did not tell many of my friends because I myself was having trouble digesting the news, the anticipation of what is going to happen and possibility of losing her. I've never told her I love her.

After years of treatment, I accompanied her to the hospital for her routine check up - she never let me go inside the doctor's room with her - and the doctor gave us the good news. She is now cancer-free.
Thank you for those who prayed for my mother's health, especially to a very dear friend of mine, Sarah B.

I love you, Mama.

My First DIY Dinner Hairdo

2011-04-12T23:14:00.000+08:00

I went for a company course and forgot to bring along with me a suitable dress (I banged my head against the wall for self punishment) for the farewell dinner. The only clean clothes I had left were a pair of Gap jeans and an embellished blouse I got from India. So in order to make me look less casual and more formal-ish, I decided to do a side chignon with the help from Martha Stewart.

Mine was quite messy because I skipped step 1-3 and went straight to 4. But I kinda liked it that way.
Easy DIY dinner hairdo for everyone!

What Did I Do In My Dream Last Night?

2011-04-12T10:28:00.002+08:00

Leica V-Lux 20 - RM2,600

I woke up this morning with this baby in my head and until now, I can't seem to stop thinking about it!
I'm this || close to heading to Pavilion and purchase it right away or at least pretend that I can.
I'm looking at my old Leica with a little bit less of love, unlike before.
It's just weird and so random.
What did I dream last night?

Painting People

2011-04-11T10:04:00.000+08:00

While many artists try to paint portraits to look as real as possible, Alexa Meade puts acrylic paints directly on live models to make them appear like part of the painting.

via The Senses Five

Amazing isn't it?
Have a great Monday!

P/s: I heard Bruno Mars concert was explosive! I'm sure those who attended last night are not having the Monday blues today.

"Big Mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now", said Vivian Ward.

2011-04-10T23:17:00.001+08:00

via elle

Remember the scene in Pretty Woman where Vivian Ward was snubbed by a boutique sales assistant while shopping in Rodeo Drive?

How many of us have more or less experienced that?

Regardless of whether or not we have the money to spend, I think a business owner / operator should treat us as potential clients without having to judge us by what we wear, what bag we carry and what brand of shoes we have on. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect unless you have a sign at your door saying "only those who can afford are welcomed".

You might brush the wrong customer off!

Recently, I went to well known boutique in Hartamas straight from an outstation trip in jeans and tatty t-shirt.

I had a wedding to go to urgently

which meant

I was desperate

which meant

I was willing to spend.

Bad combination for me, ka-ching for boutique owners!

Or so I thought.

I pressed the door bell, a boutique assistant opened the door eyeing me up and down and let me in without even a smile or a hello.

I felt welcomed already.

I took what I liked and looked around for the dressing room. The shop assistant was minding her own business when I saw the owner of the boutique coming down. Great, maybe she'd help.

Well, I guess I really looked like I was in the wrong place because the owner just glanced at me or rather gave me 'the look' - judging me in the process - and greeted another better dressed customer who just came through the door with such joy it could light up the whole Hartamas.

I was a bit upset but decided that it was her loss. I went home and told my friend about it who later twitted the whole incident and tagged the name of the boutique and the owner. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the boutique owner had trashed my friend on twitter, calling her kampung and saying something about the fact that she had many other customers, losing one is nothing big.

When I was living in Singapore, I loved going to Takashimaya . Inside Chanel, LV, Louboutins, you'd see customers wearing shorts and slippers, sometimes instead of holding a Miu Miu, in their hands are old plastic bottles used to store their drinks. Yet you would not see any of these people being snubbed or ignored by the sales assistants.

Because they know in the end, it's usually the shabbier looking customers who always make their day.

Weekend Love

2011-04-09T00:09:00.000+08:00

I'm leaving in a bit to go back to my home town and I can't wait to see my family!
Although the journey is only an hour away, but the increasing cost of petrol has limited us from making more than 2 trips a month.

Like any other moms, my mom will cook my favorite dishes every time I go home.
But it has been more than a month since my last trip (work, work, work!).
I won't be surprised if she takes out her best china and silverware, complete with fresh flowers on the table and organize a family luncheon to make it more special than it already is.

Here's to a weekend filled with love!

via A Subtle Revelry

Louis Vuitton Fall 2011

2011-04-08T22:48:00.001+08:00

I'm not a big fan of LV but just look at these skirts!
It's mind blowing to see the pailettes falling down nicely, swooshing back and forth as if they were beautiful chiffons.
Respect to the people who meticulously sewed hundreds of these pailettes!

via Bryanboy

It's Awesome Friday!

2011-04-08T09:22:00.002+08:00

Aren't you glad it's Friday already?
But usually there is a lot of work needs to be done before I can leave the office.
It's like "Hey work, where were you from Monday to Thursday?".

So, here's a video I'd like to share with you; get your feet (fingers) moving to celebrate today, Saturday and Sunday.
Take it away, Rebecca Black.

Kidding :p

Prawns That Flew

2011-04-08T04:01:00.004+08:00

In 2006, while still studying, I enrolled myself in one of Joe Hasham's (of KLPAC) courses - Acting for Beginners. Although I participated in theater programs in university, I suffered a terrible stage fright. It was so bad that even a simple class presentation can make me go all woozy and jelly legged.

My stage fright has not completely disappeared but the course was such an eye opening and delightful experience for me.

Taking a short break from class

I will tell you more about that in another time, but one of the things I gained from the course were good friends with colorful personalities!

Recently, I went to Shazlin's wedding in Legend Hotel, KL. It's great catching up with friends who had seen your worse and best stage performance, who understood you overwhelmed emotions after listening to Joe's monologue, who tried to make you feel comfortable playing as his wife (it can be nerve wrecking!), and who never forget you even after all this years, never mind the fact that we only met during the weekends for 3 months.

The celebrated couple Shazlin and Martin. Hmm...I looked like I was pregnant.

Molly and Edward

Brien busy taking picture for his blog

Gary, the talented designer with an awesome house ;)

Yes, Gary does have an awesome house. From the outside, it looks like any other old 3 storey shop offices, but once you pass his front door, you will be mesmerized because it looks like you are in an expensive loft in Manhattan. Well I've never been to Manhattan, but you know what I mean :)

I love this Nurita Harith dress I just bought. I love the bright color which contrasted nicely with the dark embellishment. Nurita asked me if I'd like her to trim away the net, leaving only the sequins as according to her she got a lot of similar request. But, I love it for being a bit 'off'.

And I learnt three very important lessons that day.

Never wear your favorite or delicate dress to go to a Malay wedding where they serve curry, masala chicken, sweet and sour fish and chilli prawns.
Malay weddings will always serve that kind of food.
Avoid food with gravy and prawns that you have to peel, at all cost.

Checking out stains on my new kaftan after the prawn I was eating 'flew'

P/s: Accidentally messed up my template. Doe anyone know how to remove the photo frames? Tried following googled instructions, but as you can see they are still there!

This Is Just How My Face Looks

2011-04-06T09:23:00.040+08:00

Via Krisatomic

The first thing people always tell me after they get to know me
is that I have a very snobbish face
or to put it rather bluntly, bitchface.

Victoria Bekham is famous for her sullen model poses. Word is because she hates her smile. Which may explain why she always looks like she is in pain.

Devon Aoki actually has a really cute face and sweet smile but because of her high nose and downward lips, she looks like a stuck up bitch.

Unlike other people who can light up a room with their smiles,
mine is mainly reserved for those who are close to me
because I feel super conscious whenever I smile to strangers,
notwithstanding the good feeling that you get in the end.

Most of the time, I feel good and chirpy but unfortunately for me and for the rest of you who have to look at me everyday, my face somehow fails to express those emotions. And it is really annoying when well meaning but irritating strangers come to me and tell me to "cheer up".

You know how sometimes you feel like slapping a person who has a perpetual, annoying smile plastered on their faces even in time of crisis?

I'm sure they are suffering the reverse condition of mine.

| Azue | 28 |

2011-04-05T09:35:00.002+08:00

Azua wanted us to help her plan her baby shower and being the meticulous organized person that she is, she had mapped the skeletal plan of the bash. Since her birthday also fell on the proposed date of the event, it was concluded it should be a birthday bash/baby shower.

But what she didn't know was that we actually planned a surprise party for her 2 days earlier than scheduled, with the help of her husband.

The party was held in Garden Lifestyle Restaurant, situated on the walkway that connects Gardens to Midvalley. We chose alphabet and animal theme with green, white and yellow as the major colors to play around with.

The highlight of the party was when Nenso brought out the cake
And guess what...

She got the name and age wrong!
Hahahaha!

She vehemently said that she only got the age wrong.
But still...
Mistakenly thinking she's older? That's a big no no, especially for us girls!

We shall hold it against you whenever we feel like it or when we want to make you do something for us.
No excuses. Like, whatever Nens.
This shall be our joke of the year.

Meet the Parents

2011-04-04T09:34:00.000+08:00

After my birthday brunch in Fat Spoon, some of us who came that day headed to Wondermilk to organize a baby shower for Azua who is already in her single digit weeks now!

Waiting in humdrum

Azua is very organized. Unlike us, the actual organizers of the bash -_-

So while planning, a Chinese lady came over to our table with her little daughter. While talking to her daughter, she pointed towards my party balloons. The lady kept smiling at us and urged her daughter to "ask che che for 1 balloon".

We gave her one of the balloons. Or rather it was Elvira who gave it to the little girl.
The balloon escaped from her tiny hand but she did not cry. What a good girl she was. She just looked at her balloon flew really close to the fan.

Her mother - I repeat - her mother asked for another balloon. We were beginning to think that her daughter was really not the one who wanted the balloons. So Elvira gave her another one and this time, she made sure she tied it nicely around the girl's wrist.

There you go, girl.

OK, che che has to bring the rest of the balloons home ok.

"Thank you che che", the mom urged.

So we got back to our discussion but a few seconds later, the little girl and her mother came to our table again.
This time, in tow were the father and her little sister.
Again, and this was purely our observations, the other girl did not looked like she wanted the balloons. She didn't cry and she didn't even fight for her sister's balloon.

But her father urged her to ask us for a balloon and when she didn't, the father asked us on behalf of her.

Azua is the manners police. She gets irritated when people misbehave.

Azua told them that the balloons were for me because it was my birthday.
Wrong move. Because now the parents asked their children to sing me a birthday song. Luckily, they just stood there, looking bewildered and half-frightened.

What the hell, they're just balloons, right?
I gave another one to them and thanked them profusely for the birthday wishes.
They did not come back.

Aida trying to catch the balloon before it hits the fan

Lat Kampung Boy The Musical

2011-04-03T22:50:00.000+08:00

The other day I went to watch Lat Kampung Boy The Musical at Istana Budaya with my friends and my in-laws.

I was really looking forward to it
as when I was little,
my dad used to buy me his comic strip compilations.

The play was ok although the songs were quite boring
which in turn affected the momentum of the play.
My favorite song was the John Wayne song.

"Macam sapa?"

"Macam John Wayne".

I can't remember the lyrics but it's an inspiring and compelling piece sung by Jalil Hamid who acted as Lat's father.
He was trying to inculcate in his son, courage and the spirit of perseverance.

Atilia really embodied the character of Paie, Lat's wife because according to my mom in-law who used to live in the same village as Lat, she looked and talked exactly like her!
Awie was mediocre and I personally didn't like it when he included the Hantu Kak Limah jokes in it.

My favorite character was Douglas Lim, reaaaallly funny I tell ya!

Mike pergi beli tiket mike sekaghang jugak!

The last of the 20s

2011-04-03T15:48:00.002+08:00

I wrote a lengthy letter to my younger self on my birthday which was waaaay past and thought about putting it up here later that night. I can't remember if I had deleted it by accident or maybe I stored it and put it in hide mode (is that possible?) but the point is after searching it for hours, I COULD NOT LOCATE IT.

Not like the letter would change my life now because
a) for the obvious fact that it's really a syiok sendiri thing
b) because knowing how I was 14 years ago, I know for a fact that I'd never ever listen to the older perhaps wiser self. No shit I'm that stubborn and stupid

So no letter my young self then.

I told Nenso that I wanted to have a simple brunch with a few friends in Fat Spoon.
I did but didn't expect there'd be colorful balloons, cakes and wonderful presents from them.
On my mind was just that - simple brunch to catch up with friends because this new job that I took tires me during the weekdays and on many weekends, I have to do a lot of travelling.

Thank you my lovelies.

I'd love to tell my younger self though not to sweat the small stuff and enjoy the childhood.

Stop wishing to be an adult so soon!
And always be thankful!

This is the last of the 20s.

You didn't miss much.

Because as corny as it may sound, life is a long, long learning process.

Sunburst = Happy Burst

2011-04-03T13:59:00.000+08:00

Lame title I know, but I'm loving my new necklace and I have been looking for one in this particular color for so long.

Got it a week before my birthday and have been wearing it on daily basis ever since.
I just can't help it!
It conveniently suits everything that I wear be it my pant suits, t-shirts and jeans, and even my plain kebaya. Maybe subconsciously I pick things that matches the necklace instead of the other way around.

Bottom line is, this has been one of my best birthday gifts ever!

Thank you DonC!

Funny To You, Not Funny To Me

2011-03-13T13:23:00.010+08:00

I don't understand how people can be disrespectful when it comes to telling jokes, especially if they are dirty jokes. I'm not trying to act like a goody two-shoes, but I honestly believe you need to have a certain standard and practise self restraint when trying to be funny.

Most of the Malay men I have met or communicated with love to go to that direction even when talking about simple, non-sexual things.

You ask them questions, but you get answers with sexual undertone.
You complain about a backache, and you get suggestive remarks.
All these indecent comments are a form of sexual harassment but some of us refuse to see it as that.
I mean if everyone's laughing, it has to be funny right?
And sometimes, when you point it out, they make it as if they do not understand what you are talking about. Who is dirty-minded now?

It irks me when people make dirty jokes/suggestive comments on everything that is being said, especially when the issue is about food.

"Bini aku buat keropok lekor. Makan dengan sos sedap ni. Dah lama tak merasa, celup sekali pun jadi lah".

"Type komputer sampai naik jari kelingking dia. Bahaya tu. Nak korek apa agaknya jari kecik tu".

And with that stupid smile on their faces,
you gotta be dense not to get what they are actually referring to.

Another thing is sensitivity.
You tell these kind of jokes to your close friends, your cliques, or anyone who you know are comfortable with this kind of things.
Well, at least that's how it should be.
You don't tell dirty jokes amongst strangers. You may think you are funny but you will be perceived as disrespectful and insensitive to your surroundings.

This happened in an elevator recently. Inside, there were 4 men and 2 women.
A new cafeteria just started its operation so everyone was going there after years of eating outside the office.

"Makan mana? Makan dalam (cafe) ke luar (stalls)?"
"Aku makan dalam la. Mana boleh makan luar."

They giggled. They asked one of the young women who was busy texting.

"Cik? Makan mana?"
"Huh? Oh Saya makan kat bawah (level 3)".

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Oh terbaik la. Bertuah badan".

The young woman nodded, confused. She went back to her texting.
-_-

And enough with that Malam Jumaat jokes! Every single week.

The latest joke that I don't understand is about the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Ultraman and Godzilla being attacked or something like that.

What is up with that?
Which part of this misfortune is funny to you (unless of course you are a schadenfreude)???

Have some class.

Say It Straight

2011-03-08T18:20:00.000+08:00

via swissmiss

When my friends and I were in college, we had this silly mission - to get married to Caucasian men. I call it silly because I was never into fair skinned guys, but I think some of my friends were and still are. You like what you like :)

So, every time we see a Caucasian guy, we would nonchalantly sometimes loudly say things like, "I hate orang putih!" hoping that one day we would end up marrying one.

What were we thinking, right?!

The rationale behind this was (the word rationale and 21 year old excited girls should never be used together) because of the theory that if you hate something so much, you'd either love or end up living with it, right?

So we tried to counter that by 'believing' that we hated orang putih! The result? All but one ended up with 0 orang putih. I think that's good enough to prove that the theory works, for some people.

Right now, I am one of the 'some people'. No, I'm still very much in love with DonC, thank you very much!

But the theory is working for me at the time that I need it not to. I knew where and what kind of work I'd be doing when I accepted this particular job offer but now I find myself constantly surrounded by numbers, equations, assets, etc. I have to proofread, edit, translate financial reports, statutory reports, data, anything that has got to do with a lot of numbers.

When I say I hate Math, I really mean I HATE MATH! Straight up!

Sah! Sah! Sah!

2011-02-27T22:51:00.002+08:00

There is that split second right after the akad has been accepted, that the bride loses deep in her thoughts of herself, now a wife. That seconds before she gets to meet her man, seconds before a ring is slipped into her fingers.That is her moment alone, before she shares everything with the man she just married.

We missed that.

You see Nens and I were late for Hanna's wedding.
We ran uphill in our baju kurungs and heels.
When we both arrived at the door panting,
Hanna was already preparing herself for the exchanging of rings.

We knew about this months before, yet we were late, we had no pictures with Hanna, we didn't get to congratulate the couple.
And as for why were late?
We missed one junction and had a hard time getting back on track.

Another couple's wedding invites!

Group photo whilst the bride getting ready for the reception

Love this photo! So candid!

Thank you Hanna & Zain for letting me be a part of this joyous occasion! Love you guys!!!

Pictures taken from Hanna's fb.

In The End, It's All White

2011-02-27T04:33:00.001+08:00

I just realized that *I* never had a hen dinner or party prior to my wedding.
I always wonder do they really hire stripper who comes out of a giant cake?
Do they have x-rated game to play at the party?
Do they really tell the truth during the drinking game?

Because, I didn't do any of those during Hanna's hen dinner. There was no game, no stripper but I had fun, notwithstanding!

It was a very intimate dinner with closest friends and it was a perfect time to catch up with each other. There are other ways to make a hen party kinky without involving all those X-rated stuff which I shall not divulge due to sensitivity.

Anyway, Hanna and Shiha, another bride to be co-hosted their hen dinner party in some Arabic restaurant.

Radiant and discreetly impatient brides to be

When I first heard about the venue, to be honest I was not really excited about it. Although I don't consider myself as a picky eater, but the thoughts of having Arabic food?!
The last time I had an Arabic food was 2 years ago during a surpise party I threw for DonC.
I can honestly say I was there truly for the brides to be, not for the food.

Thinking of the McD's leftover at home.

Arrived in white as requested, while the radiant bride to bes were in red. As I bask in the lovely aroma and the decor, with some Arabic artist on TV on mute (with lyrics like I love you like I love the shower?) I gingerly took a bit of the their famous bread and I was hooked! Couldn't stop eating after that.

Couldn't stop myself. It was one after another...

Aaaand another!

For party favor each one of us received...

Lingerie!

It was great seeing old friends and making new ones.
This post is way too late. Hanna is now somebody's wife. Don't mess.

Excuse my stupid face. I think I miscalculated the timing.

Took these from Raihana's facebook album. Great camera, great skills.

Of Late

2011-01-13T18:13:00.000+08:00

Letting Go...

2010-11-25T21:37:00.000+08:00

That day, Sara fell into unconsciousness as her body continued to fail. Through the next night, Rich recalled, “there was this awful groaning.” There is no prettifying death. “Whether it was with inhaling or exhaling, I don’t remember, but it was horrible, horrible, horrible to listen to.”

Her father and her sister still thought that she might rally. But when the others had stepped out of the room, Rich knelt down weeping beside Sara and whispered in her ear. “It’s O.K. to let go,” he said. “You don’t have to fight anymore. I will see you soon.”

Later that morning, her breathing changed, slowing. At 9:45 A.M., Rich said, “Sara just kind of startled. She let a long breath out. Then she just stopped.”

A very lengthy but well written article about hospice care for dying patients. Read more about it here.

(via here)

A Slice of Life, A Piece of Cake

2010-11-23T19:32:00.002+08:00

A friend saw the photos I took at a former boss's beautiful reception at Passion Road, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.

She asked me how old the newlyweds were, and my answer was quickly followed by a big sigh of relief.

"There's still hope for the rest of us single girls".

-_-

Dzof looking really happy.

Dzof is a mathematician turned writer who has written many dramas mostly directed and produced
by Ng Ping Ho of Popiah Pictures.
Maybe some of you are familiar with his works, the most popular ones being Realiti and Ghost (my favorite!) that were aired on 8TV.
Apart from that, he also has his own column in The Star called Contradictheory.

Norma, the glowing bride.

The reception was pretty low key, attended by close friends and colleagues.

It was simple but sublime.

Wedding favors were glass candle holders, painted by the newlyweds themselves.

Every table had photos from the akad nikah and previous receptions for guests to browse thorugh.

Food was awesome!

But my favorite would have to be this.

For guests to leave a note of encouragement, best wishes,
or even blackmail threats ("Remember the time, you and the girl.....etc").

Dzof came to our table and told us how nervous he was
as he was about to perform something special for Norma.
He went in front and I think he played the piano. I couldn't really recall what song he sang because
I was too busy eating.
It was awfully sweet (his gestures, not the food)!

Newlyweds and Dzof's parents doing the first dance.

While we were plotting how to look less obvious going to the dessert table for the 5th time.

Cute couple!

Now, you must know how Dzof proposed to Norma.
Watch this video first.

Dzof told us about the proposal last year during a Xmas barbecue party,
so when Norma showed us the photos of the

Chocolate Ice Cream Strawberry

all of us girls were really amazed by the elaborateness of it, not to mention it really looked delicious.

And Dzof was standing in front of us with a disbelief look on his face,

"Can't you see the ring on top of it??!"

"Eh, got ring meh?",

"God!!!".

So the lesson is?

Use a plain cake.

Just For Your Saturday

2010-11-19T15:35:00.000+08:00

Planning to go to Bijou Bazaar tomorrow at MAP Solaris Dutamas albeit I'm poor as hell right now, what with moving and all (I love the place so much, I decided the farthest I'm willing to go is to the next block).

For those who are used to renting a place,
you know what I'm talking about.

DEPOSIT.

It can strip you bare for the whole 2 months
because you are neither out of the old house nor in the new house
so you are paying for both at the same time.

So until we find the right house to buy, we are stuck to renting and perpetual dilemma of whether or not to build a kitchen cabinet.

And to all the property speculators out there,
fuck you.

Now, why don't we further aggravate our longings for all the good things that seem to bypass our shores by watching this video of Lanvin for H & M.

Have a very good Saturday, people!

Maid in Solo

2010-11-12T09:51:00.000+08:00

We are once again without a maid.
The maid who started working with us just over 2 months ago, has returned home.
The whole house was very upset, not because we were losing a good maid (freaking slow can die),
But because she has been scheming to work in Malaysia for a short period of time, just enough to gather a certain amount of money. She was not serious at all. I should have seen that coming.

After we got cheated with the "supposedly legit agency" which cost us our best maid, Mariam having to be deported home, we got Tia through my mom's colleague who was an Indonesian lecturer in Nilai.
Not having to deal with the agency meant that we only paid for her travel allowances. The cost for passport renewal, medical check up, etc were borne by Tia herself.

Now, at that time, my mom was preparing to leave for Haj.
And you know what people always say, to do your Haj your heart must be of pure thoughts and kindness.
Right after wiring her money, she suddenly told my mom that her mom was sick. My mom was really upset and tried so hard to be patient. Finally, my mom decided to let her go. Not only that my mom was even kind enough to pay her second and last salary. It was better than her suddenly fleeing while the family was not home.

Good riddance I must say. She was not exactly our dream maid.

She was such a soft spoken lady (she was from Solo), religious (that was what won my mom over in the 1st place), but VERY VERY SLOW. Tia's 26, but my mom can do twice as much of work and finish them in half amount of time that she takes to do 1 task. That slow.

She liked to korek hidung. Like kaw kaw. You know, like digging for gold kind? Dis-fucking-gusting. It's a habit of hers so sometimes even WHILE we were talking to her, she absent-mindedly dug her nose. Good thing she didn't cook for us, but still the thoughts of her boogie laying around in the kitchen...Bloody horrifying.

You tell her one thing, she does another thing.

The next reason I'm gonna tell you might make me look like a snob but here's why.

She liked to talk to me. Whenever I came home, she would sit next to me and chat with me about everything. She's lonely, fine. But when she just wouldn't shut up for the next 30 minute, I began to think that she was trying to escape her work. So one day, after listening to her shit for 20 min, I gave her some work to do while I went to watch TV. Not less that 1 hour later, she came back and continued where she left off.

It came to a point where she loved talking to me about SEX. About family planning. About her 5 year old son who she still breastfed. About her son's cute habit of playing with her nipple until he fell asleep. Oh, did I mention that she liked to talk about SEX? About how she did it with her husband without the condom, and then she asked about my sex life. Fucking A this one, I tell you.

It's so frustrating to get a good, decent maid. And the amount we have to pay to get these maids are just absurd. When the maid runs away, it's our names that get blacklisted.

You know, the other day I went to Kak Pah's Martha Stewart-ish house, and I met 2 of her 3 servants. They have been working for Kak Pah for 18 years! In fact, last week she brought along one of them to do the Haj with her.

Maybe I should upgrade my maid's toilet like Kak Pah's maid's.

Awesome, right?

The Tudors and The Letter P

2010-10-04T23:50:00.002+08:00

A Have you watched The Tudors series starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers? I'm a sucker for historical events so watching the progression of King Henry VII from being a capricious ruler to a weary and pitiful king was very exciting for me. FYI, the Tudor era was the most exciting and significant period in the English history.

Anyway, King Henry VIII's marital career was probably the thing he is most known for. He was the rock star of his time.He had 6 wives, 2 of whom he beheaded. To get his divorce, he went to the extent of placing himself as the Head of The Church of England and ordered the Archbishop to grant him his divorce. This was called the English Reformation.

See what women can really do to men? They can change the course of the world!

I've been trying to get my friends to watch The Tudors because of the seamless storytelling but I realized that all of my friends watched it because of the many steamy scenes that were meant to describe what kind of man King Henry VII was. One particular friend called me in the middle of night to discuss why King Henry suddenly wanted to sleep with Anne of Cleves after divorcing her. -_-

Anyways,

One of my friends, let's just say....umm....she got it on after watching 1 episode with me and the rest of girls and....

Demonstrating how she'd look like when she reaches 6 months

Tada!

Ok, I dont'care if people say that it's meant to happen, da yada yada coz I like to believe that I contributed a biiit to this joyous occasion, ok? :p

Afterwards, we went to my favorite salon, Cu's & Do's in Solaris Mont Kiara to treat the the radiant mom to be before heading to Solaris Dutamas for Poetry Cup, later at night.

So bottom line is, please go and watch The Tudors....for educational purpose only.

If you do watch it for any other reason, please don't forget to tell me the good news :p

Hard and Soft

2010-10-04T13:14:00.002+08:00

Oh-so- awesooooommme. I want I want I want.

Via here

A Lil Domesticated

2010-10-03T03:44:00.000+08:00

Do you know you can do a lot of things with that microwave of yours besides nuking that maggie mee or eggs?

These are some of the things that I've tried and can vouch for.

Make extra-tasty microwave popcorn by nuking a bowl of water first. Do a quick switcheroo and then cook the popcorn as directed. The moisture left in the microwave will make for some fluffier kernels.
Disinfect sponges in the microwave. After you've given your sponge a good soak in water, nuke it for 2 minutes to kill 99 percent of bacteria.
Disinfect plastic cutting boards (if they fit!). Wash the board well, rub it with the cut side of a lemon, then heat for 1 minute.
My favorite: Get extra life out of a dried-up mascara stick by heating for 30-40 seconds on high with a cup of water in the microwave beside it.
Get more juice from a lemon or lime. Just zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then roll it around on the counter a few times.
Serve your delicious meals on warmed plates for pro-worthy presentation. Sprinkle each one with water and pile them up. Heat on high for around 30 seconds—but make sure they don't have any metal decorations.

Enjoy your weekends, peeps!

via here

House Hunting...Again.

2010-10-01T10:59:00.002+08:00

Sarah was very kind in letting us rent her massive, 1572sqf home in one of the fastest developed areas in KL at a very reasonable price.
When we first moved in in February, we immediately fell in love with the ample space that most newly built condos lack, the location and most of all, her parking unit which was right next to the lift.
C'moooooon, you gotta love that!

Pot luck iftar session at PDC. I love this place.

But now we have to move again!
Goodbye big-as-badminton court living room :(
Sarah's husband is back working in KL, so that means time for house hunting, yo!

So far I've viewed 14 condo units and yesterday we did a marathon viewing after work,
and ended up reaching home at 11pm.

One of the few places we saw.

At first we were just looking for a place to rent until we find the right place, the right time and
owh, enough money to buy our first property.
But this unit just made me all emotional and I was so in love,
not with the view,

not with the so-so 1287 sqft,

obviously not with the bed they throw in for free,

but
with the complete TEKA kitchen and electrical appliances (every unit has a complete set!)

with the little window by the cooking area,

and the bathroom,

Owh and the TEKA washing machine and dryer. I have this thing with dryer although I never own one.

So suddenly we thought, "maybe this is the right time to buy a house because we are never gonna get any younger and we will never have enough money. The property prices are increasing so rapidly!".

We talked to the agent, seriously trying to convince him to convince the owner to sell it to us rather than renting. And today, I got a call from the agent who wanted to know how serious we were, which honestly irked the hell out of me. He told me that I looked more interested than DonC, eventhough it was DonC who grilled him with so many Qs, lest we get cheated.

To top it off, he told me to help him convince DonC and do the work 50-50. He will be happy with the sales and I will be happy with the house.
Who is not serious here?
Jut because we were casually dressed and not suit up like you do?
And what's with the deal going the back way of trying to convince a buyer? Asking me how much my husband make? Call him yourself!

Told him, if he's a really good agent like he told us, he'd be able to convince DonC.

Just remember,
when you are parting with your money, no matter how big or small the amount is,
you have the right to be anal about it.

Uhuh.

2010-09-26T11:08:00.000+08:00

Until it's Monday.

(Via kellyoxford)

Let Go...

2010-09-24T17:08:00.001+08:00

via here

And jump into the cold, freezing water of the ocean.
How do you plan to spend your weekend?

Herding Cats

2010-09-24T08:51:00.002+08:00

Have you seen the Ikea Happy Inside adverts?
This is the video's behind-the-scene footages. I appreciate the adverts even more now after watching this because they use household cats which means they are not specially-trained film cats.
And cats, like us women, are known for being temperamental.
But the result is effortless.

And here is the full adverts.
The 1st time I saw this, I felt strangely emotional.

Ikea + cats = warm and fuzzy inside.
And a sudden urge to purchase a rack.

via superbunneh.

I'm Talking About Food Now Because I'm Hungry

2010-09-23T20:30:00.000+08:00

You'd think that when you have only one meal
to look forward to at the the end of the day, deciding what/where to eat is easy.

But no - In fact, it's harder because either you are super hungry
and you want everything from pizza to ayam penyet
or you are super hungry that you can't decide because you don't know what you want, heck, even that keropok lekor looks yummy but I don't think I want to eat that today, maybe tomorrow but I plan to eat bawal power tomorrow and nasi kerabu, the day after and yada yada yada.

If you are like me, then most probably you ended up eating food that never made it to your list in the first place!

My wish list during Ramadan was:

Dim Sum at Starhill, Bukit Bintang
Tony Roma's
Om, Setapak
Fatty Crab
Mom's Place, Damansara Perdana.

Unfortunately, the only place that I managed to go was Tony Roma's, courtesy of Aida who, let's just say...hit the jackpot.

I'm not one to try new places especially when it comes to food, but the constraint of time, along with fickleness, has help me to discover new food joints which I wish I had known sooner!

Yup, that's the name of the place. NOT!
It's actually Las Vacas (it means the cows in Spanish, so you know what you're in for here) in Mont Kiara, right beside Baskin-Robbins.

For those of you who are familiar with MeatWorks, this is something similar to that, only it's not as pricey and of course the portion is a little bit smaller, but satisfying enough.
We decided on beef salami sandwich and breakfast strip sandwich.

Their is their second outlet after the one in Kelana Jaya.

Days before that, Fath and I discovered a cozy cafe called The Departure Lounge, in Solaris Mont Kiara.

It's lovely place to just relax, chill with friends or just spend time alone, reading your book because the sofa is comfy too.

For this particular group of friends, Ramadan is not complete without coming to my parents' house all the way in Rantau, N9. Why?
Because of my mom's awesome cooking.

Sated, they told my mom that it was time for them to go home
as they had to go somewhere else afterwards. Although I tried to convince them to stay a bit longer, the girls insisted that they had to leave.
But my mom, easily took control of my friends, with the power of...

RETAIL.

They ended up going back around 11, with their brand new tudungs.

It's Too Cheap But Then You Realize That You Just Bought RM60 Worth of Old Mags

2010-09-23T13:47:00.000+08:00

I love to buy old/back dated/back issue magazines.
Because for me, to spend almost RM30 on a magazine that is mostly filled with advertorial content, is absurd.
Hey, it's different than wanting to make yourself feel miserable looking at Giselle's body 6 weeks after she delivered her 1st baby.
That, I can understand.

Usually, I go to the magazine store in Ikano because they have this special rack where they sell old magazines,
but they have very limited stocks.

Imagine my excitement when I saw this at Cineleisure yesterday.
(Taken using BB camera, so images aren't too clear).

Not only do they have a whole range of magazines (teens, automobiles, ID, entertainment, kids, Chinese, tech, etc) they also sell recipe books, self-help books, and also books for primary and secondary students.

So head on to Cineleisure if you are a magazine junkie like me!

From Brooklyn With Love

2010-09-23T00:09:00.001+08:00

God, this such a beautiful love story.

Forever in love, until eternity, just like Danny and Annie, an elderly couple from Brooklyn.

This a true story of their twenty-seven-year romance, from their first date to Danny's last days with terminal cancer.

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

(Animated by StoryCorps, via A Cup of Jo)

"Being married is like having a colored television set, you'd never want to get back to black and white".

Living Upside Down

2010-09-22T13:23:00.001+08:00

Am i the only one still in Raya mood?

Too used to the Ramadan timetable, I've been having early dinner
which I believe is good for your health, ya?

But how can it be good when I have many open houses to attend, sometimes 3 in a day, awesome food being served and hey, isn't it considered as rude when you don't appreciate the host's food and hard work?

Ah, the dilemma!

Usually, during the first 2 days of Hari Raya, we'd go back to Perak and spend the rest of the holiday in my hometown in N9. My brilliant idea :p

But this year, we had to change the plan at the very last minute because it turned out my mom's application to do Haj has been approved, although the date has yet to be given. How can we not spend the Raya together when she will be away during Aidiladha?

I'm happy that she's happy but I also fear for her safety as she is not as strong as before.

Anyways, here's a video I made to sum up my first week of Raya.

Song Upside Down by Paloma Faith

Raya Kan Sebulan...

2010-09-20T13:48:00.000+08:00

So I guess it's not too late to wish you...

Recycle

2010-09-08T03:16:00.000+08:00

Not the normal plastic, paper, glass recycling.

I'm talking about recycling your wedding dress.

All via here

How many of you out there, reuse your wedding dresses? My guess is 1 out of 500 people.
Whenever I ask my friends about this, they either give me a ridiculed look or just laugh because it's just too silly of a question.

"Seriously, you want me to wear my RM20K Jovian Mandagie wedding dress to another function which is worth less that the dress itself?"

It all comes down to personal choices.
If you think that the dress is better off being kept nicely in your wardrobe,
hoping that one day it will become vintage and fetch, I dunno, double the original price
which is not gonna happen unless it's Vera Wang,
then by all means, take good care of it!

via here

Some people are sentimental about this kind of things.
Knowing that your perfect day happened
while you were in that perfect dress (enveloping the then perfect body, c'mon who are we kidding),
once in a while, you'd want to indulge yourself reminiscing the perfect day.

When I bought my wedding dress, the uber practical DonC asked me if I really wanted the dress because if he's gonna spend a lot of money on it, I'd better be wearing it to more than 1 occasion. And when I told him that our daughter might wear this on her wedding day some day, he said,

"Sure or not...."

I don't know about other people, but when I looked at my mom's wedding dress..hmmm. Sure, my mom looked beautiful in it. But me wearing the same dress (my mom changed into 6 different costumes, I only wanted one) that was so fashionable those days? I think it's tacky. Even my mom agreed with me.

This is vintage

This can also be vintage -_-

But come to think of it, I really really love my dress. Like really really. And it's a shame that I wore it only once when I really really love my dress. By now, you should know that I really really love my dress.

My dress simple dress has no lace whatsoever, coz I managed to convince my mom that wedding dresses do not necessarily mean being covered in lace from top to bottom. Mine was made of taffeta, embellished with swarovski crystals, just enough to make it pop.

DonC already accepted the fact that that dress, for eternity, will be at the back of the closet, albeit I have been using my engagement and nikah kurungs once or twice before. But I just came across several websites that teach you how you can alter, dye and reuse your wedding dresses. Alter yes, but dye...I don't know.

It can turn out to be like this,

Before

After

Or this,

So here I am, thinking how can I make the wedding dress work for me again?
Selling it off?
No because I really, owh you know why!
Donate?
Can I just donate what's left of my wedding favors?
Cut into pieces and make something that my daughter can use during her wedding e.g. handkerchiefs or photo album cover?

Or bridal sneakers

Let's start slow before we do something drastic, shall we?
Swap with other people?
Thanks, but no thanks.

Or
Maybe I should try this. At least I get to wear it every night.

This Is A Really Random Post

2010-09-07T15:02:00.001+08:00

I don't really fancy benefit but I think they've invented one of the best beauty products.
Best being cheap and long lasting. Not to mention it being a simple product yet effective.

I can't fathom those vibrating mascaras. I tried once, and ended up with finishing strokes without vibration. Call me old-fashioned.

Anyway, my favorite item from benefit would be this.

via here

I just bought 2 bottles of these to last me the whole year. By the way, did you know that this was originally concocted in 1977 for an exotic dancer who requested to make something to make her nipples look pink and pretty.

Anyways, you know benefit is famous for their colorful brochures and all that?
So I showed DonC the picture of the founders, Jean and Jane Ford (because we like to pop quiz each other about meaningless things and amuse ourselves) and he took a long hard look at the picture.
Absorbing such a great piece of information.

Via here

"Lesbian couple issit?"
"Wh...how...wh...WHAT?!"

He looked at me, waiting for answer.

"Right?"
-_-

Maybe I should start giving him pop quiz on fashion designers rather than this. Too complex.

Where is this going? I told you it's random.

Meeting The Right Person At The Right Time

2010-08-27T17:05:00.001+08:00

DonC and I always talk about how we wish we have met sooner.
Sooner as in when I was still studying and him...well when he was young(er) :p
So that we didn't have to wait that long to find each other.

But if we did meet sooner, then things might not turn out how we wanted them to be.
Because what we went through before meeting each other, shaped us and lead us to where we are now.
Can you imagine meeting me 6 years ago?
Quick-tempered at an impressionable age, and not to mention face full of big ass pimples. I still have the occasional breakouts but c'mon big ass pimples ok! Thank you, Dr Reubs.

Anyway, remember this post?

Early this month, Hanna finally got engaged to the man of her dream.

So, you see. Sometimes, it takes a lot of wrong choices to get one right.

And you know it's worth the wait.

I look forward eating at her grandma's place because the food is always awesome. Dengan tak malunya, I tapau-ed the oh so delicious soto that day.

Check out my new BB cover. I was busy helping her putting her veil on when she asked me,
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS THAT BLINDING THING?!"
while pointing to my fluorescent orange BB on the floor.

To Hanna,
Congratulations. I see that you've picked a great wedding date and I can't wait!

So happy.
And oh we just celebrated our wedding anniversary!

Pictures taken from Hanna's fb.
Last picture via here

Domestic Abuse

2010-08-26T12:12:00.000+08:00

"You've got no balls!"

I found a picture that shows exactly that and thought of sharing it with you.

Via here.

Dazed But Not Confused

2010-08-21T15:01:00.000+08:00

What a lovely Saturday so far. Chilling at home as all tasks (non domestic, that is) are completed albeit the vacuum cleaner is still sitting nicely in the middle of the room, waiting to be utilized. Hmmm.

The family is sad that Mariam, our beloved and funny maid
has returned to her home country for good and
is now working as a dispatcher.

On the flip side, my mom is pleased that everyone
is sharing the burden of doing all the domestic chores.
Even my dad makes his own bed now and goes around checking other beds in the house.
The first time he did his bed, my mom called me excitedly and cooked him a special meal! What used to be a rare sight is now the daily norms.

During the 4-month hiatus (oh wow) from the blogging world, I was:

super busy with commissioned works,
celebrated DonC's and my birthday,
discovered this thing called Dim Sum but I will only eat it at this one particular restaurant,
went through a terrible jam to go to Double Trouble concert only to leave 15 minutes later as the venue was sardine-packed.
Lady Gaga was allegedly a member of the Illuminati. Haha.
Found out after 2 years that the family cat, Shira is actually a male cat.

Yuna and Najwa's showcase at TAS @ Lot 10.
Zee Avi's showcase at KL Life Centre

Birthday lunches and dinners for DonC and I.
Deep fried Mars at New York, New York Deli which I must say, tasted more like fried banana fritters.
One of my closest friends since high school, Jules, decided to leave everything behind and migrate to Australia. Looks like she's having fun there.

Golden Boy is back for good!

Stealth

2010-08-13T14:28:00.000+08:00

I'm back.

Catching Up

2010-04-19T12:00:00.000+08:00

"A blog is a broadcast, not a publication. If it stops moving, it dies".

- Andrew Sullivan

Credits: http://www.swiss-miss.com/

Don't Let The Trailer Fool You. This Is A Sad and Heartfelt Movie. And Robert DeNiro Is Just Too Awesome

2010-04-19T11:39:00.001+08:00

Rosie: We could just talk to mom.
Frank Goode: Oh, but you couldn't just talk to me?
Rosie: Well she was a good listener, you were a good talker.
Frank Goode: Well so that's good, we made a good team.

My relationship with my dad has always been a turbulent one.
Not a day goes by without one of us getting irritated and stressed up.
He is a complicated man and I am a difficult daughter.
And just like in this movie, the one thing that keeps us together is my mom.

Right after watching this movie, I did something that I never thought I'd do.
I picked up the phone
and instead of asking to pass the phone to my mom like I always do,
I asked for my dad
and said hi.

Photo credits: http://www.shockya.com/news/2009/12/22/everybodys-fine-movie-poster/

Blogshops Are Pure Evils

2010-04-17T21:58:00.000+08:00

You know you shopped online too much in one day
when you email the wrong transaction receipts to multiple vendors seven times in a row.

And you know you should take some time off these blogshops
after your boss YM-ed you saying that she really doesn't need to know whether or not the new dress you are wearing today is comfortable, but since it is, she congratulates you.

Photo credits: http://www.swiss-miss.com/2010/03/obsessive-consumption.html

Notebook Walk

2010-04-15T00:00:00.001+08:00

In a recent interview with USA Today, Nicholas Sparks criticized Shakespeare, Jane Austin, Ernest Hemingway, and romance novelists in general for essentially writing the same story over and over:

"(Romances) are all essentially the same story: You've got a woman, she's down on her luck, she meets the handsome stranger who falls desperately in love with her, but he's got these quirks, she must change him, and they have their conflicts, and then they end up happily ever after."

But he claims that he is not a romance novelist. He is a fiction writer who writes love stories.

"You read a romance because you know what to expect. You read a love story because you don't know what to expect."

I've never read any of Sparks novels before,
but I watched The Notebook and A Walk to Remember
and the first thing that came to mind was that,
the stories tried too hard to make people cry.

But having seen so many of good books butchered to pieces for the sake of commercial value and box office ratings, maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt
and pick one of the titles to read.
Or maybe not.
So whether or not you are a fan of his works, please go here to read more about this.
~~Hahahahahahahahahahah.~~

Credits: http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/45648168.html

Durian Style

2010-04-14T23:17:00.000+08:00

Amazing shoes!
and I'm getting all giddy looking at them!
But then again, aren't all Loubs amazing?

Credits: http://www.garancedore.fr/en/

Food Shall Never Be Your Enemy

2010-04-14T16:42:00.001+08:00

3.45 am.That's how early I usually wake up on Saturday or Sunday or sometimes both days, to get to my work place.
My shift ends after 5 hours and I usually go back home to rest.
That or I come back to the office for the evening shift.

More than a month ago (just didn't feel like blogging for a while), I received an invitation to go to Leman's and Ita's wedding in Ipoh.

So right after I finished work, I quickly drove home and changed. At first, DonC suggested that I wear my baju kurung to work but hell no. Not at 4am, na-ah!

Evidently, I took a long time to get ready so by the time we hit the road, it was 1 something already. The kenduri was from 12 noon til 4pm.

When we arrived, everyone was getting ready to go home and the caterers were almost done packing up.

Summing up, it was the shortest time I ever spent in a kenduri - a mere 15 minutes!

But we couldn't not go because when we got married, Leman helped me a LOT during our kenduri. From doing the signboards, putting up the signboards, cleaning the house, serving the guests, and so much more.

Most importantly, we came and seeing him so happy made the whole 2 hour journey worthwhile.

Subsequently, we invited Aida and Zetty to join us in our little food trip. We went to eat Nasi Ganja first and then for desserts we stopped at Indulgence, my favorite place in the whole Ipoh.

I think every time people tell me that they are going to Ipoh, I make sure to tell them about
Nasi Ganja and Indulgence.
Every single time!
Do me a favor and go try these places.
Put it in my tab...chewwah. Sekarang berani la cakap.

Photo credits: Ms Zeti

Sometimes They Say The Lines Too Many Times, That They Don't Make Sense At All

2010-04-14T15:26:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I went to Dorothy Perkins with Nensso to buy some jersey basics.

I love these because they go down all the way to your hips and perfect for people with long torso such as me. Also, they are great for layering.

These are sold at RM33 each but if you buy 3 pieces, you only pay RM86 so that means each jersey costs around RM28. Got that?

Now the reason why I need be clear on the price is because of something funny that happened at DP.

I wanted 2 pieces and so did Nensso. So we decided that she would tumpang one jersey with me and pay another one at the normal price. We approached the cashier.

Cashier: Together?
Me: Yes.
Cashier: Tapi promotion ni untuk 3 helai je.

Nensso and I looked at the cashier, confused. Then I just nodded, not sure what the big problem was.

The girl started counting.
"1,2,3,4", and looked at us like we were the dumbest people on earth.

Nensso: Haa, tu kan 4?
Cashier: Tapi promotion ni untuk 3 helai je. *patiently explains*

Nensso took a deeeeep breath.
"Okaaaaaaay, ni 3 kira sekali. Yang satu ni kira normal price".

Simple. End of story right?

Wrong.

As I dug inside my bag for money, I thought she would have started scanning or packing our stuff. Relentless, she then asked us a question that got us really stumped.

"Tapi kalau card member, kita tak boleh bagi discount. Cuma boleh collect points je".

So Nensso looked at me with the most bewildered look on her face and asked, "Are you a member?"

I shook my head.

"Are you?", I asked back.
"No".

We both looked back at the girl and she just smiled and started scanning. What card member? We didn't flash any membership card or did anything to indicate that we were the members of Dorothy Perkins Shoppers United!
5 minutes gone for that enlightening conversation.

I went home telling people the story and laughed till I cried.

Sit Back And Let Someone Else Play Your Life.

2010-04-03T16:24:00.003+08:00

Too many times lepaking at Pappa Rich near my house,

sometimes meeting different people 3 nights in a row
makes me puke blood whenever I see Pappa Rich now.

I always, always order the same thing,
french fries and toasted bread with roasted coconut,
because so far all the big meals I had has left me disappointed.

Last week,
too tired to drive out of the neighbourhood,
DonC and I had a late dinner / supper at Pappa Rich. Joining us were Aida DQ, and Nenso.

From latest neighbourhood gossips (as if I was living in Tinseltown! :p) to discussing hypothetical Qs. One of the hypothetical situations was:

"IF YOUR LIFE WERE MADE INTO A MOVIE, WHO WOULD PLAY YOU?"

DonC got Robert Redford and Johnny Depp.
I seconded the latter.
The former? Too smooth dude, toooo smooth.

Aida DQ got Penelope Cruz and Renee Zellweger. Nenso got Jennifer Aniston and Julia Ormond which made her excited. Who wouldn't be? Julia Ormond ok!

And yours truly got Winona Ryder and
Claire Danes.
Hmm...interesting choices they had for me.

And then we got on to local actors. Names like Erra Fazira, Sidi Oraza, came up. Nenso argued coz she didn't agree with our pick which was Susan Lancaster :D

But Aida (DQ stands for Drama Queen) interrupted the argument with an important question.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?!"

DonC: You my dear, get the best one.
Aida DQ: Really? *excited*
DonC: You get Ogy Ahmad Daud.
Aida DQ: Whaaat??!
DonC: That's not all. You get Ogy...wait for it...in real life.

Everyone just burst out laughing.

So, if your life were made into a movie, who would play you?

Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis

He's Out of The Closet. When's Your Turn?

2010-04-02T11:09:00.000+08:00

Ricky Martin's g...g...g...dare I say the word?
GAAAYYY??!!

*fakes gasps*
REALLY? I'LL BE DAMNED.
WOW I. COULDN'T. TELL.

-_-

Look at that smile.
The key is, open mouth, wide smile (careful not to let your teeth meet in the middle) and push one shoulder in front.

Chchchcheck it out yourself.

Where Were You Aaron Kwok????

2010-03-26T17:29:00.003+08:00

Men's wallet
Imitation Coach handbag
Shoes
Rare chocolates
Condoms for Blackberry

Those were the things that my friends had asked me to help buy in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, I didn't buy any as there were too many leather wear made of pig's skin, too many things that were similar to what they sell in Petaling Street, and too many chocolates that had lard as one of the main ingredients.

And in Hong Kong, if you wanna be cool, you use iphone. Not, I repeat, not BB. People don't get stoked seeing Zebra patterned or Bedazzled BB condoms. People get excited seeing image of the late Michael Jackson or Hello Kitty on the back of their iphones.

Iphone - 1, BB - 0.

With population reaching almost 7 million people, it's a bigger version of Singapore but not as clean.
Having experienced SAR and H1N1, HK tries to be as hygienic as possible with hand sanitizer dispensers made available every 500m and public phones, lifts, handle bars, etc being sanitized every hour.

And the toilet oh-em-gee so DRY. Therefore, clean. When I was younger, friends used to tell me that Chinese you know..they don't use water when...you know... hahaha but never mind that because the important thing was to be able to pee in a pleasant environment. Background songs are optional.

Money was spent mostly on transportation.
Even when we walked to almost everywhere, I think we spent more than HK40 each on transportation.

Every night, we would come back limping because our feet hurt so bad.

But I'm proud to say that we managed to cover most parts of the beautiful island :)

On the second day, (I got too excited shopping on the 1st day that DonC had to pull me away from malls) we went to The Peak by Peak Tram which was fucking awesome coz the tram goes up and down quite fast for an old tram, faster than ours in Bukit Bendera, Penang. On top of that, the hill is so steep that you'd see buildings leaning at 45' degree angle!

We took the Duk Ling ride which apparently is the last authentic sailing junk in HK. Duk Ling was built 50 years ago and served as a fishing boat. Cool, huh?

I love the towering skyscrapers in HK. Spectacular.

Food? What do you expect? It's HK. Pork meat is everywhere. As I got down to the street every morning, it's the first thing I smelled.

Before going to HK, I did some research on the locations of all the halal food outlets. So I thought I covered the food department. But because of logistic issues, and expensive transportation fares, we didn't go to any of the halal outlets.

So we ate what we could and to deter us from spending more on food as it was winter (at the time of our visit, the temperature dropped to 14'C so we experienced hunger faster), we ate chocolates a lot. Also the fact that I'd rather use the money for shopping!

Indonesian restaurants are quite easy to locate but be careful, there might be babi guling in your mushroom soup or if you want to buy instant mee, make sure it doesn't have dessicated pork liver/thyroid even though it says 'vegetarian'.

Shopping in HK was like a dream! I spent mostly in H & M since we can't get it here or Singapore or Jakarta or Bangkok! They have a lot of street markets and one of them is called the Ladies' Market at Tung Choi Street which is a bigger, mammoth version of Petaling Street.

Want a year supply of luck? Walk a few metres ahead and you will see the Goldfish Market! I never knew that there's a great demand of goldfish until I saw rows and rows of shops selling those lil creatures, crowded with customers sumore! Chinese people believe that having aquarium in the house brings good luck, according to one of the sellers.

Busy junction. I thought I was in Shibuya.

On the last day wee wanted to go to Shenzhen for a day trip but exhaustion got the better of us, plus it takes 1 day to do the visa. Next time maybe.

This reminds me of Jackie Chan's old movies.

All in all, HK was great if shopping is what you have in mind. I saw people lugging 20, 30 kg of really cheap clothes (RM1, no kidding!) in the airport and my best bet? Obviously they are going to put their labels on the clothes and sell them at triple the original price. That's like 120% profit.

We went home after 4 days in HK. And being an airport lover, I must say that HK airport is greeaatt! Ok, fine that goes without saying as evidently, HK airport is one of the world's best airports.

That's DonC checking what movie to watch. Yup, it has cinema complex complete with the largest 4D extreme screen in Asia! In addition to that, it also has Aviation Discovery Centre, Playstation Centre, sports simulators i-Sports and interactive themed entertainment centre. So you might want to be extra careful there or you could get carried away and miss your flight.

Hong Kong - done! :)

Amazing Race Asia Is Back!

2010-03-03T13:10:00.003+08:00

Date: Saturday, 13th March 2010
Venue: Orange Wing LG2 of Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya
Time: Registration starts from 11am

You know what that means, right?
It's AMAZING RACE ASIA TIME!

I'm gonna go there, make up some drama ( that's what it's all about), be a snooty lil bitch.
Or
make up the same drama and convince them that my life is fucking more interesting than hmm, I dunno, a couple of beauty queens?
and hopefully, hopefully I get through to the next round.

"I" because I don't care who goes with me! Of course my first choice would be DonC. But if he's not up to it, I'll just drag the first person I see on that day.

IwantIwantIwant!

Use Him. That's What Husbands Are For, Right?

2010-03-02T18:36:00.001+08:00

I'm waiting for DonC to come home and send me to work.

The other day, I met a friend. Let's call her Shy. The last time I saw her was I think a year ago.
When we saw each other, we squealed with delight and then we sat down talking about life and personal achievements and how far we came.

Me: So are you happy here?
Shy: *shrugs* Ok ok...Ohmagod, I'm so glad you are here!
Me: Is it that bad?
Shy: Ala, you know la office politics. I have been looking for jobs, going for interviews and still nothing.
Me: Patience, girl. Patience.
Shy: Well, easy for you to say! You don't even have to work.
Me: Seriously??! I'm working 2 jobs la! Don't have to work apa nya?
Shy: Yeah, because you have your husband!
Me: What do you mean? *already a bit offended but still smiling*
Shy: You have an advantage! Use him!
Me: Aha.ha.ha.Yes, that's why I have 2 jobs.

Shy sat down across me with a serious and sincere look as she said this,

"You have something that other people don't have. He. Is. Your. Biggest. Strength. Itu je strength you".

I have to admit, at first I was offended.
But few seconds later, I burst into laughter.
She should have just stopped at "He is your biggest strength".

I'M PISSED

2010-03-01T17:47:00.000+08:00

BECAUSE I WAS ALMOST DONE WITH MY SUPER LONG POST, WHEN MOZILLA DECIDED TO DIE ON ME.

MAFFAKA.

A Great Loss

2010-02-12T16:35:00.001+08:00

Alexander McQueen.
Whose creativity and wild imagination made other designers' runway shows looked like kindergarten plays compared to his.
A sheer genius.
"A true style visionary".

R.I.P.

Credits: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/remembering-alexander-mcqueen-1969-2010-644885/#photoViewer=6, http://fashioneditoratlarge.blogspot.com/2010/02/rest-in-peace-lee.html.

Hello Forever

2010-02-11T23:38:00.001+08:00

Look what I saw on my way to work this morning.

A Hello Kitty, stuck on a garbage truck.

From hello to bye bye. Be strong Hello Kitty. Say hi to CJ7 if ever you bum into him.
Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis

Running Around Town

2010-02-02T18:18:00.000+08:00

Control yourself
Take only what you need from it

Kids - MGMT

Look On Your Right As You Turn Into Jalan Ufuk Timur

2010-01-02T12:10:00.000+08:00

Just a short post with lots of pictures as I just came back from Melaka and repacking my luggage to go to Penang later for JayZ's wedding!
I'm so excited!

Anyway,
since the much said project took off on a surprisingly good start and was quite well received,
*shocks*
the team went out for lunch to celebrate, but this time with our EP, GM and Sr. Exec at IOI Marriot Hotel, Putrajaya.
Our little victory smells sweeter than free lunch.

Loving my new scarf from Warehouse that I got at half price! ~~Shallow, but that's another victory!~~

Wearing top and jeans from Pumpkin, heels from Yunique Paradise, bag from Charles &Keith.

Xmas Party Without The Turkey

2010-01-01T14:41:00.003+08:00

One of the things that I'm thankful for, for the year 2009 was the chance to work with some of the most experienced and knowledgeable scriptwriters in the industry. At first, there were 9 of us working on the project. Then 7. A few more people came in. And by end of the year, there were only 5 of us on the team.

I told DonC yesterday that this was by far the best team that I've worked with and that make my job more enjoyable, albeit the massive workload.

I learned how to look for that voice in your head and listen to it,
I learned that it's OK if people think you are crazy for talking to yourself while sitting in Starbucks, provided you have a paper or laptop in front of you,
I learned to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite drafts, then you submit. Only to find out later that you have to rewrite. Again.
I learned not to get too excited over a plot that you refuse to listen to other people's ideas,
I learned that I get really hyper and energetic in the morning and at exactly 4pm, I slow down and get lost in my own wonderland,
I learned that I dislike and sometimes hate editors,
And the most important thing they taught me but at times can be very difficult for me to do,
I learned to let go.

YES, TO LET GO AND HAND YOUR BABY TO THE NEXT PERSON BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE ALL THAT YOU COULD SO JUST...

LET GO.

Of course, a good team is never without turbulence. Difficulties of getting along, old grudge, principle issues were nothing new. Add that with our deadline that's inching closer and faster; everyone was under a lot of pressure and with little patience.

Like my EP always says,

"The best place to learn is on a sinking ship".

Not that we are sinking though. Just floating on our backs and basking in the sun, while waiting for the big wave to swallow us.

Meanwhile, here are the photos from our Xmas BBQ.
Party first, then worry.

That's Hisham of the tukartiub fame. He's really funny and always accuses us for being prejudiced to old people. Our sin? We try to save paper by printing the text with smaller font.
And every time we pitch some of our extraordinary ideas that could stir some TV/government issues, we always point our fingers to him - blame that ex ISA detainee, boss.

Steph, an excellent researcher and experienced writer. She was one the people who interviewed me for the job and when I came into the room, stupidly I blurted out,

"I think I went to school with your sister. You look just like her".

She doesn't like it whenever I say that, but she does look like her younger sis! That was what gave it away, plus I was really nervous and that was the first thing that I could think of to say.

Sharad, always the highlight of all the meetings. Why?
Because the team loves to make fun of him. He can't speak Malay and understand very little Malay. So everyday, every single day, some of us will give him the wrong meaning for every word. Like pengecut (coward) means beautiful. So he was always using the wrong word and we'd be laughing.
Except me!
I would always give the real definition and he would scrunch his face, pissed.

"Bugger off! You people are so bad!"

But finally I succumbed to temptations. On his last day he asked me if people say, "Selamat Maju Jaya" (all the best), what do you reply so I told him the appropriate phrase.

So when the boss wished him as he was leaving, with a big grin he shook the boss' hand and said,

"Pegi mampus la kau."

Classic. We had a good laugh. Boss couldn't keep a straight face after that.

Dzof, announcing the big news. He's getting married.

Steph was taken over by emotion after learning how Dzof proposed to Norma.

He's not part of the team.

Cause When You Shine, Baby When You Shine

2010-01-01T12:07:00.001+08:00

"She ended an era. And then started another one".

Photo credit: http://www.femmething.com/articles/8733#more-8733

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-01T00:23:00.001+08:00

"Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right."

Oprah Winfrey

I Want To Watch Glee

2009-12-26T19:11:00.001+08:00

...but I can't because DonC refuses to buy me new series unless I finish the last 4 eps of Greek and that is quite a daunting task because Greek is just too freaking boring and predictable!

So is Gossip Girl, you say.

But at least GG has good looking actors and great wardrobe and it's very much character driven series. Whereas Greek?
The only character I like is the bad boy. See? can't even bother to remember his name.
Greek is such a bore and waste of my money.

I want Glee.
I want Big Love.
I want Mad Men.
I want Tudors.

Btw, you guys have to watch new HBO series called Bored To Death. Sofunnycandielaughing.

Paaram Pam Pam Pam

2009-12-25T12:42:00.001+08:00

Merry Xmas everyone! Ho ho ho!
Bur this Xmas is extra special for the family because...

...my sister scored 7As 1B in her PMR! It's great because we didn't expect her to get that many As!
My mom went to school with my sis and called my dad to relay the good news.
But my dad kept on asking if she was joking and told her to read the slip with her glasses on.

My sister is very playful and her teachers told me many times that she needed to read more and focus in class. I know this for a fact because I have been taking her report card every year!
Alhamdulillah, hooray!
Maybe I should just have faith in her study methods because obviously it worked for her!

And now we can start back on my long abandoned trashandtresure project because she has no excuse not to be my model!

Owh wow will you look at that, exclamation marks everywhere!!!

A Family of Trees Wantin'

2009-12-25T12:14:00.001+08:00

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.”

Plato (428BC-348BC)

I used to love accessories from Mori Pin but now I think it has lost its edge. Gone are the intricate and exclusive designs and taking place now are what you can find in other 10 shops nearby. Diva stocks mostly off the runway looks and of course mass produced. So for now, I seek solace by looking at Mimpi Murni and hoping that one day, the one necklace that I want will be available once again.

Fans of House, did you notice the necklace worn by Thirteen in season 5? The three tiered necklace? I saw the same one in Weed as well but Thirteen wears it so ohsowell. IwantIwantIwant!

Cat pendant: Mori Pin, multi layered necklace: Diva

Jaywalking

2009-12-25T11:24:00.001+08:00

Pavilion. Pavilion.

For 2 days in a row, that was my place for work meetings, for catching up with friends and also for me to kill time so that I wouldn't be stuck in traffic during peak hours. Promised JayZ to meet her in Carlos so that she could pass me wedding invites to her wedding next month.

And as for you DonC, she's called JayZ not because she's dark or white niggah or whatever, we call her JayZ simply because she LOVES JayZ to the max. I remember during one of our nights out clubbing, she impressed a lot of people when she rapped to JayZ's song looking all cool and suave. Masa tu la.

During our uni years, she was always out by 6pm and would only come back at 8am, and on a good day, straight to class. Or she'd be awake only when I come back from class and find her on my bed, snoring. But the best part was, she always fucking aced most of the subjects. Unbelievable.

Meeting her fiance for the very first time I was quite surprised. Very different from all the other guys she dated.

"So what do you think?", she asked.
"Very different from the rest", I answered.

Clean cut, professional looking and smart. Haha. It's funny to me because it's JayZ! She has always been into bad boys. But then again, don't all girls?

Next day, Pavilion again! I think I'm beginning to like it here more than the usual especially now that I know Parkson carries Martina Pink! The dresses are so cute and classic. Think whimsical and Alice in the wonderland but not too sweet that you puke.

Dinner at La Bodega which I think is the best branch compared to BSC and Telawi. It's huge and the location is very strategic.

This drink is called The Ex Virgin consist of lychee juice with mashed kiwi and strawberries. Awesome.

Saw Avatar 3D and I love the colors and everything about the forest! Story wise, it's very very predictable and James Cameron has always been about saving the suppressed. I never thought Zoe Saldana was a good actress before, but in this movie I think she was superb. Maybe because I couldn't recognize her face.

All in all, you should watch this movie because visually, it's arresting! An Indian guy beside me kept going ooohh aahhh wow and he even fucking whistled when Neytiri first came on screen.

Major turn off.

Sniff Sniff

2009-12-20T19:26:00.001+08:00

Bad flu.
Really bad flu.
Right now I look like a disgusting moron with red nose and mouth open because I have tissues stuffed in each of my nostril. It just won't stop running up to the point where I got bored wiping and blowing my nose. It's easier that way right?

And since I used up all the tissues in the house, I now have to resort to using kitchen towel! It feels as if I thread my nose hair!
Gross.
Stop it.

I have a long brainstorming session tomorrow in the office which I cannot cannot miss. Tuesday I have an interview so again cannot take MC. At times like this, how I wish we had a house in KL. God knows how many times I've said that.

Also right this moment, I'm listening to my parents gossiping with my uncle and auntie about one of our neighbour who also takes care of our garden. She came looking for my mom asking for help. Apparently, she wants my mom and auntie to help her talk to her 2 sons who are planning to get married. The eldest is 24, the second one is 22. They just started working and since she and her husband have been working hard (morning-to the farm, noon-factory, evening-sell air tebu and kueh) so it's their dream for the sons to be successful in their respective careers so that they can finally stop working.

So now, the gfs of these 2 boys just finished SPM. Like hello!
And now according to my neighbour, it's the girls' moms who are pressuring her boys to settle down with their girls.
Fine, whatever la.

What irked me the most was that when my my mother relayed the story, the first thing that came out of my aunt's mouth,

"MUST BE BLACK MAGIC LA. WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE GIRL FEEDS HIM WITH".

What? What? Again what?

I understand these things exist but really must exhaust other options first before going for that one la. That one should be the last option!

Credits: http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/aex/lowres/aexn101l.jpg

Today We Make Bread

2009-12-20T16:18:00.000+08:00

As usual for my family, weekends are spent making bread and buns. It's not that hard when you have a breadmaker machine so I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

No idea what's happening to this blog, but today it's a baking blog. Enjoy!

French Baguettes

(A)
90g plain flour
360g bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tsp instant yeast

(B)
250-260ml water

(C)
10g shortening

Method

Mix (A) till well blended.
Add (B) and knead to form a dough.
Add (C) and knead to form a smooth and elastic dough.
Leave it to rise for 45min.
Divide the dough into 3 pieces, mould them into balls and let them rest for 10min.
Flatten the dough and make them into stick shapes about 30cm long.
Leave them to prove for 30min.
Brush them with water and slash the tops with a sharp knife 3-4 times.
Bake at 220C for 25min. Serve.

Tips
Place some small stones on a baking tray and heat them in the oven at 220-250C for 20min. When you are ready to bake the bread, spray some water on the hot stones. This will produce steam which will help the bread become deliciously crusty.

Cheese Sticks

(A)
480g bread flour
120g plain flour
110g sugar
10g salt
20g milk powder
4 tsp instant yeast

(B)
1 egg
30ml cold water

(C)
60g butter

(D)
Grated cheddar cheese
Sugar

Method

Divide the sweet bun dough into 60g portions and mould into balls. Leave them to rest for 10min.
Flatten the dough balls and roll them out into 30cm long strips.
Place them in a greased baking tray and put in a warm place to prove for 45min.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and sugar.
Bake at 190C for 12min or till golden brown. Serve.

Tips
If you do not like the sweet taste, sprinkle some curry powder or dried rosemary on top instead.

Uninspired

2009-12-19T23:25:00.000+08:00

"I see that the fashion wears out more apparel than the man".

William Shakespeare.

Top: Zara, Jacket: Mom's, Belt: from Mumbai, Jeans: Gap, Heels: Aldo

121209

2009-12-18T23:55:00.000+08:00

Was Hanna's wedding date.

Naturally, on that day Hanna was happy and enjoying herself.

Except instead on the dais, she spent the day in Bukit Bintang, shopping and having dinner with friends.

Everything was ready to go except for the bride. Hanna decided that she didn't want to get married, decision I'm sure had been weighed, tossed over, for many many times. A decision that hurt her as it hurt her former partner.

The Hanna I know has always wanted to get married. She is confident that she is ready to settle down, have children and be an A type housewife.At that time (uni days) I thought she was joking.

Several days ago, another friend of mine told me about her ambition in life. Wanna guess?

"I WANT TO GET MARRIED. I'LL SAY YES TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO ASKS ME".

Same issue. Different people.
So I told her what I told Hanna.

"You are still young. What's the rush?"

But then again, I did not have the chance to feel that way. The rush, the race against the clock or to the altar (apparently it hurts more if your jrs are ahead of you).

Do me a favor. Say this out loud to yourself.

"I WANT TO GET MARRIED".

If the first thing in your mind is that of the ceremony, the proposal, the freedom (out of your parents house, iron claws, rules, etc), big house, Chanel 2.55, Edward Cullen,
then I'm afraid you are not ready.

But if you say that and all you can see in front of you is your lover standing in a big love shaped frame with fireworks around it and no money, cars, influence, poverty floating above him/her, then it's you jump I jump time. Kidding. You're dead.
OK, stupid joke.
It's love, true love, real love, first love. Whatever fits the bill.

Your answer to this question may determine whether or not you are making the mistake of your lifetime. I'm glad Hanna did what she did because you can only be wrong when you are wrong.

Bottom line is to want to get married and to want to get married to a particular person are totally 2 different things. Some of you may scowl and say duh but honestly, some people fail to differentiate these 2 or think they are of the same source.
Nay.

Yes, I Agree...

2009-12-18T23:07:00.003+08:00

with style.com that

WHAT WOULD THE '00s HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE OLSENS

I was a fan since the days the pedal pushers and platform sandals were hot.

And when they stopped dressing identically and started to have distinct styles, I realized I prefer the boho chic looks of Mary-Kate although some might call her the garbage lady to Ashley's style which is more sophisticated, mature chic.

I identify with MK the most because of the principle of the style - mix and match/pull what's nearest to you thing but edgy. Not that I'm saying I dress like MK because most of the time I look like I have crazy days or just plain crazy. But what the hell, I like it and that's what matters although half of my office mates can have a long discussion on why I look like I'm wearing a monkey suit to work.

Another key thing to remember is the way she wears her hair. It's always down and messy. Which I totally get it because I don't own a comb myself and she looks totally hot with her hair like that. You try wear it the same way here and you have people telling you to go rebond your hair.

So yeah, Thank God for the Olsens!

Credits: http://www.style.com

I'm Sorry But It Breaks My Heart to Listen, To Ask, etc

2009-12-13T22:38:00.000+08:00

When a person apologizes for what she is about to say, you know it's about you and you know it's not gonna be good. She has this concerned/constipated look on her face, struggling to tell you the ugly truth that people have been talking bad about you and she sympathises with you and that's the reason why she just has to ask whether or not it's true. She is just trying to be a good friend and you should know that she is NOT the enemy. To that dear friend,

FUCK YOU

I know damn well that it's you who spread the rumor, I know you are the gossip monger, I know you care shit about how it affects me, you just want the juicy story hoping that I would pour my heart and soul to you or at least the much needed details because it is of the utmost importance to you, you skinny ugly bitch. No wonder you are stuck in your old place, same position for years and years when others have either moved on or moved up. For the 5th time, you still request to be my friend? You are a sad case.

School Was Cool #1

2009-12-13T16:01:00.003+08:00

Whenever someone comes up to me and says

"Hey, remember me? We went to school together!"

I'd ask her back which school and what year?

Because it could be MGS Brickfields, Convent Kulim, MGSKL, or Puteri Seremban because of the constant relocation (thanks? no, thanks?) to my mom as she was a government servant at the time .

I think the best school years of my life was when I was in primary school and when I transferred to Kulim, Kedah for two years.

I knew about the relocation to Kulim a few weeks after UPSR results came out and the news crushed me because I was so sure that I'd be joining my friends in the secondary MGS. When I told my friends, they were all wondering where Kulim is.

"Is it in Sarawak?", one asked.
"Yes,", I grimly answered. Haha.

I was very rebellious and naughty in school and that was due to the fact that my auntie was the school's discipline teacher. I was like so close to being untouchable, but no one knew that I constantly got awful scoldings from my aunt because teachers complained to her all the time.

I always failed to submit homework, always missing from class. Because I'd be offering help to practical teachers so that I 'd have excuse to be in the teachers' lounge.

Another thing I loved about my primary school year:
it was all about sports,
concerts and performances,
silly fights,
teacher's pet,
prefect interview,
and adoring seniors.

Although I went through some of those in high school, it was just different and less fun. People became more bitchy and ill-mannered.

My scanner was fixed just in time for this post, so I present to you a few photos of my MGS(2) Brickfields schoolmates from the time the rate of renting a house in Brickfields
did not cause an arm and a leg
like nowadays .

OMG, please ignore my stupid pose. For the love of God, I can't remember why I did my hand like that. On the left side behind me, was the toilet where a 7 year-old girl was molested by stranger or was it a gardener? See, it already happened then! Only we didn't realized it or didn't know what what was happening!

When a male teacher (especially practical teacher)
holds your waist,
asks you to sit near him and asks questions that has nothing to do with school,
asks for your phone number,
calls you at home,
asks you and your friends out to Bird Park
when you are between 9-12,
you should take caution or at least report to your female teachers. You never know. You think it's normal because he's your teacher, when in fact it's NOT ok?
True story.

But if you are accused of planning to get married to your class Ustaz when you are 9, that does not count as sexual harassment.
That's WAR.
You didn't think I forgot did you, Trishna Chadha?

Trishna and Shoeshine are now facebook friends and have stopped fighting since 1993.

Fast forward to a few years later, I attended a mini reunion in BVII.

I told you it was mini right? -_-

Woon May and Shasha. After UPSR, Shasha went to SMAKL and Woon May to MGSKL. Woon May was school's star gymnast, multi-talented and had neat handwriting. Whilst Shasha, bright student,was always helping me out in Maths. Actually more like giving answers.

And now Shasha works in Maxis and Woon May, a pharmacist.

Great times.

Blouse from Bijou Bazaar, Zara silk pants, Aldo brown heels, Aldo oversize clutch.

Are You Kidding Me?

2009-12-11T16:16:00.003+08:00

She is ranked 9th place in Associated Press (AP) Top 10 Albums of 2009.
Awefuckingsome.
My former boss kept on talking about her, trying to convince me that this girl was so talented that I should give it a listen.
And I'm glad I did, because I love her. Regardless what DonC says.
Congratulations Zee Avi!

Menyongket

2009-12-11T15:52:00.000+08:00

"Although the term menyongket means 'to embroider with gold or silver threads', the Malay songket is not embroidered. The songket utilises an intricate supplementary weft technique where gold threads are woven in between the longitudinal silk threads of the background cloth".

Read more about songket here.

My Mom and I went to our usual laundry shop to collect our dry cleans finally, after 2 months! When we arrived the owner told us that some people had been asking about our songket, which we totally forgot about.

One of his clients even told him to give us her number if we ever decide to sell the songket.
Apparently, she quoted 5k apiece for the songket.

What is so special about these songket?

Months before that, my mother was running out of cloth to complete one of her crafty projects that she suddenly had an idea to rummage through the old trunk in our house.

Inside it, we found all the really beautiful songkets with classic designs belonging to my late grandma. Right now I'm reading up on songket to find out more about it, go to e-bay and try to sell them.
Haha.
These may not be Royal Songkets, but look at them, I don't think you can find anything similar nowadays.

In a way, this discovery helped me learn more about my grandma who passed away when I was only 2 years old. I realized that my mother takes so much after her mother; from physical attributes, craft talents, culinary skills, her kindness and also her no-nonsense attitude.
Whenever I help her cook, she always tells me how her mother used to hit her fingers with the spatula when she didn't properly serve the food. Which explains why my mom stresses hard on the importance of taste and presentation.
Even if it's just a bowl of sardines.

This is the kebaya that my late grandma sewed for herself. If I could, I'd definitely make use of this, one way or another. But alas, that kebaya can only fit a person whose waistline is 20in or smaller.
Yup. Twenty.
I did give it my best pull.

Vogue Italia December 2009

2009-12-07T17:19:00.001+08:00

Models taking picture of themselves ala Twitter style.
LOVE!
Feels like these gorgeous supermodels are like the rest of us normal people.

Except for Naomi Campbell of course. Once a diva, always a diva.

Credits: http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/41735566.html#cutid1