Full of sweet cheer

These candy cane reindeers are all i can afford this Christmas.

Things haven't been going too well lately and it's even harder now to get into the mood of the season. But i am (again) reminded that even in my darkest of days... someone usually comes along to cheer me up.

So for this year... i know it isn't much... but i bought a whole bunch of candy canes and 'spruced' them up a bit.

To all my friends, i wish you a very Blessed Christmas!! My apologies for not being able to give to everyone, but to those who will be receiving one, hope it brings a smile to your day!!

Happy holidays everyone!! Love you all.... *hugs*

Before Christmas is stolen

ACK!!! It's December already?! Didn't even realize it till i (finally) took some time a week ago to meet Siryn for dinner. Was frantically looking for a parking spot and wondering why there seemed to be more people than usual milling around. As i walked into the mall, EVERYTHING just hit me that moment. Christmas decorations, HUGE displays, candy canes, busy shoppers, lost children, fake snow (yes.. we're a sad lot), gift packs piled to the ceiling, etc.. etc.. etc...

I stood there stunned for what felt like eternity (alright!! it was probably only 5 seconds) before it dawned on me. IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!! (ok.. like durr...) I have been so caught up trying to finish up work projects that it seems as if the world has gone ahead without me. Nevermind that i have been having christmas dance practices with the Youth these few weeks... somehow it didn't sink into my head that CHRISTMAS is coming. (yes.. you can say another Durr :P)

Crikes!! This means i have to quickly buck up on the Xmas shopping. Haven't done anything yet.. Aaaargghhhhhhhhh....... i blame the 'blurness' on the drugs. Yes... i do. Clumsy me had a fall during dance practice a couple weeks back. Nothing major except a slightly bruised hip & rib bone. Still... was in discomfort for a few days.

BUT before i could recover from that, i got bitten by an insect in the office. Don't know what that bugger (pardon the pun.. it's the drugs i tell u!!) was but after a few days it swelled to size of golf ball. Plus it was infected & bleeding thereafter. Ewwwwwww...... so last Saturday, the doctor had to cut it out. UGH!!! Double ewww!! And for the next week or so, i have to go back to the clinic every day to change the dressing. SIGH!!

There goes my plans for shopping. :P With all these recent incidents, am now 'forced'
- to eat regularly (so that i can take the medication)
- to rest and stop running about so much (can't move much less i wanna aggravate the wound :P)
- to cut back on my 'social' commitments (SIGH)

Maybe it's God's way of reminding me to slow down. I've not really taken any proper holidays this entire year and spent the last few weekends working as well. Guess it's time for me to get my life back in focus... lest i forget the reason for this season and for living. ;)

So.....as i lie here on the couch... trying not to go bonkers staring at the cracks on the ceiling or is it from the drugs?? (Going bonkers from the drugs i mean. Surely cracks not caused by drugs?!?! ) Alright Siryn.. shush!! i know what you're thinking but Noooo... am not bouncing about from the painkillers. :P

To all my dear ones, May your days be merry & bright....*hugs*

I Will Be Here

I heard this song (by Steven Curtis Chapman) at someone's wedding many years ago. Till today, the lyrics still move me. :)

~~O~~

Tomorrow morning if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I will be here
If in the dark, we lose sight of love
Hold my hand, and have no fear
'Cause I will be here

I will be here
When you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen
And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winning, losing and trying
We'll be together
I will be here

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I will be here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here

I will be here
And you can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you
And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here

I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I will be here
Oh, I will be here

Made in Vietnam

Finally, after all the hulla-bulla of work and ridiculous deadlines, our company 'closed shop' for 4 days and packed us all to Hanoi, Vietnam. And believe me, i felt like a 'dragged' luggage indeed having to rush last minute materials to suppliers then run some errands before going back to the office to wait for the bus to the airport. Mind you, our flight was at 6.30am.. which means check-in at 4.30am.. which meant leaving our office at 3.30am. *collapses*

When we arrived in Hanoi, the air was dusty and the sky was foggy. Add that to overworking and no sleep, by time we got to our hotel, was already floating in sub-conscious mode. Had some food and went straight into exploring the area by foot. The place is swamped with motorbikes and NO traffic rules (or so it seemed). Everything is cramped into small spaces and alleyways. Claustrophobics beware!! Went to the market then to Hoan Kiem Lake before exploring the many streets leading back to the hotel.

Next day, we took a 3 1/2 hour journey by bus to Ha Long Bay and stayed over at Cat Ba Island. It was the boat ride that was of interest coz when we arrived on the island, there wasn't anything else to do. :P

Headed back to Hanoi the next day for more 'shopping' and exploring. Was rather disturbed by the sight of roasted dog in the market. Yes... they eat DOGS in Vietnam. They probably don't understand the meaning of 'man's best friend'. *shudders*

Shan't elaborate much about the trip here. Too much to tell. The people there seemed to move in their own rhythm and beat - and probably the very thing which threw Wiseman boss and i off kilter when we first arrived. It was with mixed emotions when the trip was over. Strange as it may sound, was almost getting used to the haphazard life and harrowing traffic.

Anyway, posted the rest of the pictures in 'Captured Moments'. Go see!! Work calls now. *SIGH*

In a cup

Call it what you want. Up to every Down. Black to every White. Yin to every Yang. This past week/month/year (?) has been one crazy thing after another.
Each day is a series of new happenings. Just when you think it's calm, the storm winds suddenly blows you off course. Yet at times when you prepare for rain, a ray of light peeks through dark clouds instead. Trying to keep myself in balance is like attempting to walk a tightrope blindfolded.

Some recent random happenings:

Wanted to buy tickets for a show on a particular...only to find it's been sold out. Had to choose another day/time (which is not as convenient) BUT then, suddenly given an upgrade to better seats.

Worked through long hours & weekend with crazy deadlines...only to have the project postponed till further notice. Makes you wonder why you bother to rush in the first place...BUT now we can go on the company holiday (on the same weekend of initial project launch) and not worry about calls from client.

Feeling hurt over some comment someone said...which i know was not deliberate, yet feel 'crap' about it anyway. Then finding an old school friend online, whom i've lost touch with for years and to hear that they thought i was 'the prettiest girl in class'. (Heck... and all this time i never knew. Always thought i was the 'ugly duckling') ;P

On short notice, was asked to help choreograph some dance steps for the Christmas presentation. And being busy at work, i totally forgot till the morning of the practice. Was frantically trying to gather my thoughts when i saw a 'fwd' email come in. Almost deleted it BUT in opening, saw the 'dancing icon' doing the VERY steps i was trying to piece together. (It was a 'hit' during practice. ;P)

Someone once said to me that my life seemed so full of drama and there's never a dull moment. At times i wonder if i bring anxiety to myself by trying to do too many things at once...as if by being 'still', it would mean i have been 'unproductive' or 'idled' my life away. :) I suppose it's how we choose to look at it. Would you say the cup is 'half full' or 'half empty'??

I would say "Make mine a Venti....... Oh, and 'to go' please" ;)

Have a good weekend everyone!!

*doosh*

What do i get?

Here i am again.... seated at my work station, waiting. And if i am not here, i'd be in the client's office... on the road... at home... in the cafe... or any other place. It is always the same.. i will be waiting. Though time and time again, i have strived to be the one 'who makes things happen', yet in the end... i still end up being the one who waits.

It is like an endless game which life forces me to play. To test my patience. To question my ability to 'let go' and not try to be in control all the time. Often times, i ask myself "Is it worth it? What if the very thing i wait for... never happens? Or turns out to be not what i expected?". The answers elude me still.

Then i came across this.... teaching me to appreciate the 'present', to make the most of every moment...

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask the student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask a person who won an Olympic silver medal.

But for now... this is closer to my truth...

How much of human life is lost in waiting.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Nightmare before Christmas

Gaaaahhhhhhhh..... it's October already!! Where did the time go?? What have i been doing?? How come i don't remember? This is bad....very bad.... coz October means it's going to be Christmas soon,
which means have to wrap up client's Christmas Campaign now,
which mean nightmare about to begin (or already HERE since we're way behind schedule),
which means overtime,
which means no gym,
which means stress-eating,
which means fat cells multiplying,
which means feeling ugly & unattractive,
which means MORE stress-eating,
which means.....I need a holiday.....SIGH!!

*think happy thoughts think happy thoughts*

?

For probably the 754th time, i've been asked why i don't blog as often as i used to.. and why the blog posts are getting more and more emo. Maybe because my life has become a meaningless routine. Maybe i'm losing my focus. Maybe the map i'm holding is not where i want to go.

I don't laugh as often as i used to. Things that once brought me joy now leaves me emotionless. The frustrations of others have been heaped upon me. And even though the burden is not mine to bear... often times, it has been easy for fingers to be pointed at me. Whatever i have taken pride in.. whatever i have done my best in... now feels as if it is not enough.. never good enough. Despite talking it through... despite telling myself it's only temporary and things are gonna get better... yet the light at the end of the tunnel seems so dim and so far away.

And if you think it doesn't happen... this big girl DID cry...

Joke of the Day

Warning: Based on true incident relating to actual people. May cause brain cells to scream and slam themselves against skull. Read at your own risk.

bLoNdiE: die la... i dunno which is carb and which is protein
bLoNdiE: all i know is fish = protein
dRaGoNfLy: DURRR
bLoNdiE: chicken = carb, cow = carb
dRaGoNfLy: UR HEAD LAH!!! Who says?!
bLoNdiE: pig = carb
dRaGoNfLy: ALL meats are protein!!!
bLoNdiE: huh. since when?
bLoNdiE: it's their skin that's carb rite? ppl advised not to eat KFC skin...
dRaGoNfLy: dats fats!!!
bLoNdiE: fats = carb. rite?
dRaGoNfLy: fats = FATS lah. Carbs come fr rice, potatoes, wheat, etc
dRaGoNfLy: Aiyo. Go back to school lah. Go see the food hierarchy chart.
bLoNdiE: i need that seriously
dRaGoNfLy: Didn't pay attention in school issit?
bLoNdiE: yalor... i very bad in science.. and history... and accounts...
dRaGoNfLy: *faints*
bLoNdiE: *laughs* i blur blur...
bLoNdiE: dunno how i got thru my exams!
dRaGoNfLy: Errr... Divine Intervention!?!?


SIGH.... am going to jump off a cliff. Anyone care to join me?!?!

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

I don't know if it's me or really.. that i'm surrounded by morons. UGH!!! Lately, i've been losing patience ever so often with people. I keep telling myself to calm down.. count to 10....breathe. BUT when these idiots continually make your life a living nightmare... there's only so much i can take.

When you don't know anything, keep your mouth shut.. and nobody will know how stupid you are. Or if you're not sure, ask... then LISTEN to the answer. YES... keyword: LISTEN, not just hear.. L.I.S.T.E.N! (in other words, ruminate on the data given, process it into useful info) Better a fool for a minute than one for a lifetime. Right?

But do these people understand? Nooooooooooooooooo..........What's annoying is that they ask you something, and while you're in the midst of explaining it, they cut you off to rattle about something else OR with a conceited 'I KNOW!'. AAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

WHAT do you mean you KNOW?!?!?! IF you 'know'..... then WHY are you still doing the same STUPID things?!?!?!! Wait.... shhh....... you hear that?? Yeah... that was the sound of your IQ hitting rock bottom! Or didn't you notice?!

*stomps off to find more intelligent lifeforms*

The Apartment

I'm baaccckkkkkkk...... after a hiatus from blogging, am finally back and writing. No, i didn't go anywhere... except maybe out of my mind. 8P Day has turned into night and night into day as we rushed to finish our projects. I shan't even bother talking about the last few weeks. Not newsworthy enough for cyberspace. :P

Today our Big Boss took us to lunch at The Apartment. Food isn't all that but an alternative hang-out place nonetheless. It's nice to be able to sit down for a proper meal after so long. Over the last few weeks, lunch was either gobbled, very late (almost tea-time) or non-existent. Sigh....the perils of working in advertising. :P

Anyway, I ordered the English Lamb Curry with Ciabatta wherelse Misako had the Duck Pasta. Think the curry tasted more indian than english. :P Pasta was so-so... hardly taste the duck though we can see shredded pieces. Still... it's lunch by the boss so who's complaining? ;)

But..... i think the highlight was that AFTER lunch, we went over to Big Apple to buy doughnuts. Yayyyyyy...... yes..... we greedy buggers ogled and salivated over the glass counter top as we had to choose which flavours to take. Hey, when you buy only a dozen, it's not easy to decide. Not when you want EVERYTHING!! :P So, THIS is our final, albeit difficult, decision.
Oh RATS!!!! they've started eating without me.......... WOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII...... *dashes off*

Crash & burn

After a week of not having a PC to work on in the office, i finally got the CPU back today. At least now i can access the office network and not have to interrupt Misako to help me save files. :o/ But.... now my problem is.... all my data from the old comp is G.O.N.E!!! Aaaaarrrggghhhhh........ Don't tell me i should've backed up my files. :P I WAS trying to do that but the thing kept hanging. So i tried to clear my files and defragment so that i can save my data to an external disk. And THAT'S when the hard drive crashed. SIGH.....

Lucky Dad's around and can borrow his laptop for time being. Ugh.... goes to show how dependent i am on computers and technology. Spent the last few nights burning midnight oil to rework my files so that i won't lose my already disrupted momentum. Thank God, His saints and gold pavement polishers that Foodie Queen, Siryn & Mumbles have been there to keep me sane via IM while i pound away on the laptop. *hugs to all*

Ok.. so maybe not all the late nights were spent finishing work. ;P Took opportunity to catch up with FQ as well. Really miss her. There's juz so much i want to share with her that even the IMs and phonecalls aren't enough. :0( Cannot believe how time flies. We've been friends for 13 years.. in which most of them were spent apart on opposite ends of the world.

Right.. am going to stop whining now and try do the 'windfall' dance, then i can go visit her...
*waves hands in air, swings side to side, pom cak cak, pom cak cak.. money come, money come....*

Have a good weekend everyone!! ;oD

*pom cak cak, pom cak cak.. money come,money come...*

Life less ordinary

Spent Saturday being unproductive. Didn't rush for gym or anywhere. Surprise surprise?? So unlike me. Must be the age thingy. 8P Hahahaha.... Then in evening, Mumbles came by with his friend, the "Attorney at Law" (AaL) to pick me for dinner together with Csu and Siryn at SOULed Out. Mmmm... must admit it was nice to be 'chauffeur-driven'. Have always been the one driving whenever i go out with friends.. and in my little compact car. So when the guys came by in a saloon, it felt sooooooooo spacious. (ok.. being hillbillie here). And to have them open the door to let me in and out. *swoon* So this is what royalty feels like. Hehehehehehe..... (Yes, despite being feminist in a lot of things.... am secretly happy for these rare acts of chivalry)

Had a lot of laughs over dinner. Glad to see my different sets of friends getting along. Wished Foodie and hubby could've been there too. :\ Felt a little 'bimbo' at times when AaL let out bombastic words but Mumbles was sweet enough to qualify that i am not. Wheeeee.... hurrah for Good Friends!! And.. despite my earlier protests of not making my birthday a circus, Csu snuck in a chocolate cake for me and everyone ( i mean.. EVERY ONE in THE restaurant) sang Happy Birthday in the most UN-harmonious way imaginable. Plus.. they plopped a "Happy Birthday" sign on top of my head. *silent groan* Did i say i love my friends??? I REALLY do!!

On Sunday, my family and i went for BBQ Skewer Buffet dinner at Halia. Belated birthday celebration for Dad as well as me. :) It wasn't a crazy as Sat night. Family obviously more civilised (hehehehe..) but it was just as good a celebration as any. Food was aplenty. Think Dad ate almost a whole cow considering he kept asking for more of the BBQ beef... and lamb. He claimed he had been saving his stomach for these. Hahahaha....

My birthday celebration is far from over. Still have a few more to go with other friends and also my family back in my hometown. So maybe making my wish for others is right after all... Look what i got in return. 8D

Thank you SOOOOOOOOO much for everyone who's sms-ed/called/emailed/blogged me. You have REALLY made my birthday the BEST!!! Love you all!!!! *hugs*

My wish

Was out the whole of today for meetings. Rushed back to the office hoping to finish some work... and guess what happened? SIGH!!! My computer crashed.... AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH. Sheesh...had i known this would happen, i wouldn't have driven like a maniac through rush hour traffic to come back. And now am told that i might NOT have the comp for a few days while they fix the problem. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... my files were in there!!!!! I know, i know.. why didn't i back-up my files? Well.. i did...erm...earlier. But not the latest working files coz i WAS planning to do it today AFTER my meeting. SIGH!!!! Oh well... no point fretting about it now. Have to juz start over. :(

Anyway, during my drive back, was juz thinking about what to 'wish' for my birthday. Hey.. it's not every day i get to wish for something.. so being the forward planner that i am (ahem), decided to think about it before i 'officially' make it tomorrow. 8P Then i realized that i never really get whatever i wished for anyway. I know... SAD! :P So i figured, maybe it's coz i've been asking for the wrong things. And as i dwell on it further, this song came on the radio.. and i think the lyrics said it all.

So to everyone, this is MY WISH:

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you wanna go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And always give more than you take.

P.S: Ok... so i borrowed this song from Rascal Flatts. :P But i hope for this year, my 'wish' will come true. *Hugs to all*

Royal. Pain.

Ok... am going to try make nice. Not an easy feat considering that it IS Sunday but am IN the office because apparently SOME people have absolutely NO sense of timelines and committed to deliver a presentation tomorrow morning WHEN it should be a month from now. Quite obvious some people don't know the meaning of TIME MANAGEMENT or to NEGOTIATE for some breathing space. Aaarrrgghhh!!! :P

Got pleasant news on Friday though. Siryn was given 2 media invites to Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I Musical, so she asked me to go along. Wheeeeeeeeeee!!! Love Siryn!!! Had lovely lovely time there yesterday. It's one of my FAVE musicals. And ooh, we checked the pricelist and found out that IF we had to pay, it would've set us back RM225 EACH. *faints* Did i mention that i love Siryn?!?! *HUGS* (Now, don't go thinking off the straight track ya?)

Also, had a good chat with Foodie Queen last night. It's one thing to IM but nothing beats hearing her voice. *miss her soooooo much* Cannot believe it's been so long since we've not seen each other. Really really hope (crossing fingers, eyes & toes) that i can visit her soon. Oh oh... just heard that her hubby had an accident and broke his foot. :( Gee, that's so unfortunate... See, these are the times when i wish i have $$$ to fly over there to keep her company.

Any millionaires out there?? ;) I don't need anyone to accompany me, just the ticket will do. I assure you 'am not difficult woman'. :P Please? Anyone?

Sigh...

Lighting up

In case anyone's wondering (please please please.. let there be someone), I'm still alive!! Not necessarily sane.. but very much alive. Still capable of getting annoyed and frustrated and wanting to throw things at people (though i don't. Honest!!). I've been chasing deadlines to no end and it's taking a toil on everyone. Aaarrgghhh... don't you just hate it when people have no sense of time and keep procrastinating, thus putting a backlog on your work coz you're depending on them to deliver before you can do your job? UGH.. get a move on, ppl!!! Otherwise, am going jab you with a burning cattle prod and send you the bill for my Prozac and Botox injections.

Ok, ok.. stop frowning...you don't need another line across your forehead. Stripes are SO last season. :P Csu and Siryn asked me what i have planned for my birthday. Guh! I.don't.know. I'm definitely NOT looking forward to a bunch of people gathering around singing in disharmony while staring at a cake which is about to burn to a crisp from the candles' light. Heck.. might as well not bake the cake.. just stick the candles in the batter, light them (the candles, you nitwit!) and by the time you've finished singing (the 3rd horrendous version of Happy Birthday), the cake would've baked just right.

Sigh.. sorry. Didn't mean to be unappreciative. I just needed to vent out...

Everything

Phew.. it's been non-stop action for the last few days. Well.. actually, been busy for quite a while now so maybe i should stop overstating the obvious. :P Was out of office the whole of Friday for a photoshoot and already felt as if have not talked to friends for long while. Hahahaha.. i know i know.. am addicted to IM.

Yesterday, i attended what must've been the 'best wedding' of 2007 (in my opinion, that is). The whole event was done very tastefully and creatively. It wasn't the big things but the little touches here & there and the attention to details that really made the whole thing special. And it was so sweet to see the bride & groom do a duet together and later on, to present each other with 'surprise' dedications. Am really happy for both of them and honoured that they're my friends. :D

Am also very very VERY blessed to have different ones leave me sms/comments to cheer me up. You ALL are the BEST!!!! *HUGS* It's gonna be another long week ahead so till my next post, here's a little something for you:

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It's you, it's you, You make me sing

You're every line, you're every word, you're everything

You're every song, and I sing along

Cause you're my everything

P.S: If you wanna hear this song, it's by Michael Buble. Shan't sing lest you want your eardrums damaged by my screeching. 8P

Therefore i am

Today, for the first time in years... i lost my composure. I had to run into the loo, sit down and fight the tears that were straining to release itself.

All the anger, all the frustration... it just welled up inside me and right then, i wished i could've just cried. Instead, i took a deep breath...and another, and then walked out with a smile to my meeting.

I've been told i'm a perfectionist... and i know i am.. to the point of being an obsessive-compulsive personality. I want things to be well planned, structured...I build my own little cocoon where things move in perfect motion in this world of mine.
(Gawd.. someone call the men in white coats QUICK!) And when something interrupts the momentum, i react by quickly putting things back so as to continue its flow.

But lately, i find things just slipping through my fingers, faster than an elephant in quicksand... and no matter how hard i try, i can't bring order to chaos... i can't be there to help... i can't kiss and take away the pain... :(

Maybe i'm just being too hard on myself. I've put too high expectations on myself and others. And when things don't go as planned, i get upset. Gaaahhh... am control freak!!! HEEEEELLPPP!!! I should check myself in to the asylum soon if i don't get a grip of myself.

Ok.. calm down... breathe.... Nobody's perfect... Nobody's perfect... I'm a nobody.... ;P

Say those words i love to hear...

Oh nooooooo.... it's happening. It's what drives women into a wild frenzy. The very thing that turns any docile female into a clawing cat. It's the 4-letter word that make men sweat and women gasping for more..... S.A.L.E!!!

Yes my friends... the Malaysia Mega Sale has started and it's on for 11 weeks!!! Discounts! Mark-downs! Best Buys! It's everywhere!!! Shopping centres are packed like sardines and believe me, some even smell like them with all sorts of 'strange' people crowding to get a good bargain. Ewwww....

You can almost tell who's married and who's not. ;) Boyfriends will be the eager beavers trailing after their girlfriends while she continues piling more clothes on him as she scours through the store before heading to the fitting room. Husbands are probably 'smarter' or should i say, more 'experienced'. They'll be the ones sitting on the benches outside with the bags while their wives rummage in the 'mad house'. Hahahahaha....

My phone has been rather busy too with calls and sms-es as to which stores have started their sale. I think between Misako and myself, we've been watching brands like the stock market, reporting which have started their sale and speculating when the others will follow suit. Top players on our list - MNG, Zara, blook and Cats Whiskers. From the sound of it, you'd think we've invested in these companies. 8P Maybe... to a certain extent, since we have contributed to their billings with our purchases. Our ROI? A wardrobe full of last season's trend. Hehehehehe.... Doesn't seem to smart eh? But then again, why pay exhorbitant full price when you can get it at half or less, just a month or so later?

With my social calendar filled for the next few months with weddings, this is a good a time as any to indulge..... Wheeeeee.... Thank God for Visa & MasterCard!!! Hahahahaha......

Busy body

Cannot believe half a year has gone by...ok, fine... almost gone (if u wanna get anal with me). 8) People say Time flies when you're having fun.. but i say it just creeps up and scare the living daylights out of you.

I mean...how many times have you bumped into someone and realized it's been YEARS since you last saw them and suddenly they're married/dragging 2 kids with #3 on the way/divorced/gay/fill-in-the-blanks. Then they ask you in return, "So what have you been up to?"....now, if you've not seen a mumbling idiot before, THIS is where i turn into one. Because in all efforts to sound interesting, the best i can do is "Erm...nothing much". I cannot say i've been jetsetting around the world or now run my own business and opening 4th franchise or that i've given up my job to do charity work. (Heck.. am charity case myself)

Don't get me wrong here. Although i've been kept busy - at work, squeezing in gym workouts, church activities, bridal showers, weddings (no less than 6 this year), i guess i'm feeling a little jaded because i don't have anything physical/material to show for the things i've done. (NO, Siryn... am not referring to the divorced/gay part of things to tell people.. in case u're insinuating 8P)

Maybe i'm being a drama queen here. Think positive, think positive. Erm... oh yes, had a mini gathering at Csu's place over the weekend. Belated celebration for her since she was in Florence on her birthday (FLORENCE!! ITALY!!! Dammit... i want an all-expense paid company trip too). Ok.. off topic again. Anyway... Siryn and i went over the Csu's place earlier to help her prepare the food. Wheee... girl bonding time!!! Was fun 'slaving' together for a few hours, cracking corny lines like "Is it me or is it hot in here?" while standing in front of the oven and shouting "Hot chick coming through" when carrying the plate of roasted chicken out. Hahahaha... Here's what we had.
The apple crumble with vanilla ice-cream is missing from here coz it was still being baked. It was ready when we finished eating and comfortably parked in front of the TV watching Interview With a Vampire (re-run on cable). Siryn forgot to take a pix of it in her excitement. Not sure if she was excited over the dessert or Brad Pitt in tights though. Hehehehe...

All in all, it was a perfectly sweet ending.. if i may say so myself. (The party, i mean) ;)

Such pigs...

These are our newly acquired friends at the office. When stress levels are high, they provide cuddly comfort. Yeah yeah... am closet sweetie.. shh.. don't tell!

THIS is how we often feel after lunch every day. 8P Wouldn't it be nice to just flop and be utterly unproductive sometimes?

Parlez vous anglais?

A few friends asked why i've not been blogging as often as i used to. To be honest, i really don't know. Maybe it's because i've not had much inspiration...or perhaps, i've also been too caught up with everything else going on around me. Then again, the last few posts i started on were on negative notes..being pushed over the edge yet again by some annoying person. Once you exercise self-censorship, there's nothing much else to publish. :P

Not sure if it's the age thing. Was told that people mellow as they get older. I must be on the wrong bus then...coz i sure am going the opposite direction. 8) Then again, maybe i'm a late starter (yeah yeah.. try to console yourself). Like all positive things that develop, there's the negative side too. Lately, i've been less and less tolerant/sympathetic to others. I don't remember being so easily agitated over things before, but then again, maybe it's coz it's the same people bugging me.

Right now, my approach to things is "Problem? Got solution? Then fix it. No solution? Then find alternative. Done? Move on". Granted things are often not as simple as that, but once you learn how to draw the line between what's important and what's urgent, everything else is pretty much trivial/collateral. It is when people start hovering instead of doing their part or start worrying over the unecessary issues & bug you to no end about it, that really gets to me. ESPECIALLY when i've already given them alternative solutions.

UGH!!! Will you please get off the 'rocking chair of worry'?!?! IT'LL give you something to do, no doubt, BUT it won't get you ANYWHERE!! Worst, not only are you making me not like the person i'm turning into but you're also making my friends fed-up with the same rants i tell them EVERY time you annoy me.

So if you can't be a positive influence or make me a better person, please leave me alone. If you don't like the fact that i'm blunt, please don't ask for my opinions. Honesty, i can do. Real need, i can help. But if you want NICE, then may i suggest France?

Shape of things

Woke up early this morn to drag my bedraggled self to gym.. only to reach there and find out my class was canceled. AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! While i stood there frustrated, my fats immediately invited the calories and threw a celebration party. 8P

Since it was too early to go anywhere, i decided to come home and do laundry instead. While waiting for my clothes to finish it's 'spinning' (heck..at least some get a workout), i flipped through the newspapers... GUHHHHH. An article about the Beijing Olympics 2008 and this is what it said:

For women hoping to become hostesses at next year's Olympic Games medal ceremonies, here come the criteria: no tattoos, no big bottoms, and cut down on the earrings.

Tattoos and earrings tend to look sleazy, while big bottoms could stick out too much, state media reported yesterday, quoting officials selecting candidates for medal ceremonies and other protocol activities.

Okaaayyy... i'm already annoyed for not getting a workout today. This definitely doesn't help either. Not that i'm hoping to be a games hostess or anything of that sort.. but when you're sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, any little excuse is as good a reason to wallow in self-pity. ;P

Of course, this is too 'juicy' a topic to savour alone, so i sms-ed Mal & Siryn about it. Mal just went "Sigh... sorry babes, guess that's one more career option gone for us eh?". Hahaha... wherelse Siryn replied "if they want to discriminate that way, then big boobs should be out too since they could 'stick out' too much as well". 8D Riiighht.... there's another strike out for me then. ROTFL....

Nothing like a few girl-friends to lighten up the moment. I love my 'optimistic' friends.. in every size/height they come in.

Heck.. and who's to say we lack shape or curves?!?! 'Round' is a shape and it's a never-ending curve. So there!!! ;)

Take your best shot!

You know i've been really really tied up when you don't see anything in this space for a while. Ugh...can't remember the countless times i've started a post only to be interrupted by something. And it's no use coming back to the draft coz i would've lost my train of thought or lose interest in the topic i started with. :P

My friends know i'm really s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d when i start craving caffeine late into the night. Believe me... it's a big deal for someone like me who doesn't drink coffee. Yes...in case anyone has keeled over in shock... yours truly has been caffeine-free for years... till recently, that is. And what's worse... i don't want the usual coffee-shop stuff. I want THIS!!! Sweet. Calorie-laden. BAAAAAAAAADDDD for me and even WORSE for my wallet. Costs about RM12 a cup and that's a LOT to pay for coffee. :\

Thought it was bad enough that i react to stress this way... till i met up with Mal & GC last night. Been a while since i saw them so decided to grab dinner together along with Khai. Lo and behold, the moment Mal sat down... THIS was what she ordered. TWO G&T and FOUR tequilas.. and it was juz for her and GC. Hahahahaha... Thought she was ordering for all of us but obviously not. :P

Anyway, was good catching up with all of them. We polished off everything on our plates (OINK! OINK! If you've ever seen the portions at this place, you'll be horrified at the amount we consumed) AND ordered dessert as well - Brownies with BIG scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

IF anyone should comment about the calories we have consumed, shut up now OR i'll feed you to the 'anorexic' models!!! Have a FATTENING weekend everyone!!!

Constant change

Am almost back to breathing normally now that there's a hiatus in deadlines & presentations. Still have work to do but at least am a little more organized and not flapping about like a headless fowl. Had a few disappointments along the way but hopefully things turn out right.

The new exec came in this week.Yay! Found out she goes to the same gym as me. Another Yay coz now i have no excuse to slack. 8P Plus, she's from the same hometown and speaks the same dialect. Double triple YAY!!! So far, we've gotten along quite well so hopefully this will continue. :D

Jebi's leaving (the agency & for UK) in about a week's time. Haven't been spending time with her lately although we work in same office. Will definitely miss her. :'( Can't think of anyone else with her kind of humour and photo-taking mania. Hehehe... (Note to self: Make sure have lunch with her before she flies away)

Can't believe Elyse (Foodie Queen's princess) is more than a month old already. How time flies. Really wishing i can be there with them. But unless i win the lottery (in which i will i have to start buying if i want to win) or some old eccentric relative 'kaput' and leave his/her entire legacy to me, it'll be probably a while more before i can beam myself over to Texas. :P

So many things going on...so many things changing. I realized i've not been spared too...'change' i mean. I'm not the same as i was before.. well... i don't think i am & hopefully for the better. ;) I've bought my own car and somewhat stabilize my career. I've made new friends as well as found some whom i've lost touch with for years, not to mention wised up & move away from toxic ones. I've made (or at least try to make) a conscious decision to eat healthy and exercise on a regular basis.

Gosh.. there's so many more things ahead. Some moving so fast, i can hardly catch up. I think i can i think can... *chugga chugga chugga*

What joy is this ride

The first time on a roller coaster is always fun. The anticipation of what is to come, the excitement of up down around, to climb off feeling a little woozy and then... to have another go at it. :) After a while, even the best rides become too much. Sure, you can forsee what lies ahead and prepare for it but soon the 360° loops and the swooshing down lose its appeal. What you get instead is that sick feeling in your stomach.

And THAT is exactly what i've been going through these few weeks.. or is it months? No... i've not been to any theme parks and NO.. neither am i pregnant. (in case some of u DARE to suggest) :P What i'm experiencing is having too many things going on and being on my toes all the time.

Recently i asked Csu.. or was it Siryn.. see, i can't even remember...anyway, the question i asked was "When did my time became other people's lives? What happened to 'me' time?". Maybe it's because i don't like to say No. There's always this part of me that feels bad when i turn someone down...the nagging thought of "was i selfish to do so?". Where do i draw the line between meeting someone's need and being taken for granted? *sighs*

I'm grateful for good friends who've IM/called/sms-ed me on and off to see how i am or to steal me away for a meal or two. Even some who've exasperated me with their warped ideas have provided a good distraction. Hmm.. sounds like an oxymoron.. but nevermind. :D I'm just glad i have people around to keep me from going over the edge... or as one of them put it 'crazy..i am not. sane..i am in." Hahahaha...

*deep breath* Right, I think i'm ready to go on that roller coaster again... ;P

Man! I feel like a woman

The best thing about being a woman,
Is the prerogative to have a little fun
~ Shania Twain ~

Women are meant to be love, not to be understood ~ Oscar Wilde ~

Life as we live it

First and foremost, if you're going to be sensitive about what i'm going to say, then i suggest you stop reading and go somewhere far away. Because right now, i am very annoyed and my words may not be nice. So be warned!!

I DON'T know what is going on these days but i seem to be meeting more and more pessimists. I mean, COME ON... life is already challenging as it is. I don't need you to make it harder. Granted, some people may be blessed with a little (or a lot) more than others... but don't whine about how sorry your life is. SERIOUSLY... there are MORE people out there who's had a lot worst.

Stop saying the Shoulda Woulda Coulda. DO something about it.

Stop being a schizophrenic/hypochondriac. FACE IT!! ALL of us will leave this earth eventually.. so let's try to make our days here more worthwhile. Nobody's out to hurt you and NO, you're not going to die from eating that extra slice of cake or spending the few minutes walking outside or whatever else you're afraid of. You're NOT THAT lucky!!

Stop complaining that nobody cares about you. IF you'd only stop the childishness & whining, maybe then you'd be more bearable and people would want to befriend you.

Stop lamenting about the promotion you didn't get or the weight you didn't lose or whatever else on your "must have or i'll die" list. Work HARDER at it. Results come with perserverance and discipline.

Stop thinking you can't. How would you know unless you're tried? If you continue with this dejected spirit, NOTHING will happen. Don't be your own obstacle... and on that note, don't be mine either. :P

Stop asking why i don't do this/that for you or spend more time on other people/things. If you'd stop being so selfish, maybe you'd see that i've already given you more than anyone else.

I've been told that in life, there are 3 types of people. 1st - those who make things happen, 2nd - those who wait for things to happen, 3rd - those who wonder what happened.

So while you sit there figuring out which group you want to be in... please excuse me, i have to go. LIFE is calling me already!!

Sum of all its parts

Someone sent me this quote today and i thought it's great...

I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls off a string.

~ L.M. Montgomery ~

Melting pot

Yikes... didn't realize so many days had passed since i last posted. Guess the busyness of life makes it easy to lose track of time. My uncle & aunt was away for about a week so spent a bit of time with my cousins.

I've also been renewing ties with friends whom i've lost contact with for years. For some strange reason, they 're-surfaced' and suddenly, we're keeping in touch more often now than ever before. ;) On top of that, i've also met 'new' people who are fast becoming good friends. Yay!!!! Am not social pariah anymore. Hehehehe...

Yesterday, when i was telling Csu about my new-found friends and all, it occured to me that my friends are a weird bunch. It's like a cornucopia of different characters, ages, shapes & sizes. Yet somehow, we all meet somewhere in the middle. :D And lately, i've been amazed by the stories they can tell. Goes to show still waters run deep and you can never judge a book by its cover.. or in my case....within the first few chapters. Hahaha...

I'm glad i'm not the 'freak' after all...

Between the covers

Rain softly pitter-pattering on my window. Music playing softly. Big cushiony chair to snuggle in. Absolutely nothing to do but savour BR's Maui Brownie Madness ice-cream. Ah....bliss.... *sigh* IF only!!!

Instead, i get torrential rain, a million & one things to do and an office chair i hardly sit on coz of all the running about. :( Everything's moving so fast, it's all a blur now. I have no recollection of what i've done but just that i've done what i was supposed to do...i think. Erm.. does that even make sense?

And i'm becoming less tolerant of people who don't keep up. I get upset when they interrupt my momentum with their sloth-like attitude and incompetency. I know i should be kinder but at this point, i'm not ready to be 'nice'. NOT when deadlines were 'yesterday'. And on more than a few occasions, i have probably been curt in answering my dear ones for expecting me to entertain them. I am tired!! I don't hate my job and i don't want to whine. But i'm also human.

Lately, my only escape has been the half hour of reading before i collapse each night. There's a dozen novels next to my bed waiting to be read. :) I know... i'm such a nerd. :P But whatever life i missed out on, i find it between the covers. Gawd.. i'm beginning to sound delusional. Still, it's refuge to my 'reality'. So, here's to the (almost always) book end of "happily ever after".

Isn't it nice to know that at least somewhere, things always work out? ;P

For Elyse

She's here!! She's finally here!! Ok.. maybe not here here where i am but Foodie Queen just delivered her baby girl 2 days ago in Texas. *jumps for joy* Am soooooooooo happy for her. Wish i can be there right now but had to make do with a phone call in middle of last night. BIG HUGS to both Mummy & Daddy. Ain't she just a cutey?!?!?

Baby Elyse, 17 April 2007

Monday Blues

It's Monday (durr) and i am annoyed. It's not because it's the first day of the week.... well, partly because it's the first day of the week. I'm not making much sense here. Ok.. let's start again. I'm annoyed. And it's because of something that happened last week, which then spoiled the weekend and spilled over to today, thus making today start out wrong, which will then set the pace for the rest of this week. (And don't argue with me about my sentence being too long...stop reading then! :P)

I cannot blame it on PMS (coz that's usually the easiest excuse for these times). I cannot blame myself because it's not my fault. OK... i CAN blame it on PMS. And it happened last week during an exhibition launch. There i was, enjoying the successful completion of another project and mooching with some clients when it happened.

P.M.S. = Perverted Maladjusted Simian!! He was one of the staff that worked there so when he came up to talk to me and my boss, i was courteous. How was i to know that he was going to try and get fresh with me? Hey, i don't speak 'Monkey'. Managed to avoid him thereafter but it already made the situation uncomfortable.

Forgot about the incident after going for dinner & movie with Mal and GC. As i was about to pay for my parking, i realized i didn't have any change with me. GREAT! I was starting to feel a little bummed out already when i remembered that i will have to encounter that 'idiot' again in the future projects and NOW the Auto-Pay machine wouldn't co-operate. I quickly called Mal for help as it was past closing time and her car was parked over at another section of the building. As i stood there waiting for her, i was saying to myself "think positive, think positive".

Lo & behold, another 'gorilla' came up to me and tried to size me up. Believe me, he was not there to offer help but just oggling like it was his first encounter with humans. Was on verge of saying "Buzz off Bozo! I've had my quota of clowns for the day", but he probably saw my glare and scampered off.

Then yesterday i took Dad to the exhibition, and had the nasty luck to encounter that simian again. Was observing a sculpture when he crept up behind me and started talking so closed to me. UGH!! I'm not wearing Eau de Peanuts so stop coming so near me. SHOO!!!

Gawd.. where i am? Did i just land on the Planet of the Apes?!?!?! And it's NOT funny getting harrassed by these Cro-Magnons. What's worse, i can't kick them away. Sheesh....

I HATE MONDAYS...

Here's looking at you, Babe

My cousin Lins has been bugging me to feature her on my blog. For lack of a better topic, here's a pix of her when she was about a year old.

Words cannot express this 'babe' so as she likes to say V.V.G. Hurrah!!

Life's Score

Haven't had much inspiration to blog lately. Probably because my days have all been about work, work, work. Not that i don't like what i do but it also leaves me with very little time for anything else.

Plus, i have this growing addiction to Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato. I know..Sweet AND calorie-laden. Tried to avoid having it too often but when the shop is just round the corner, it requires divine willpower to walk past it and say NO to the beckoning aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Mmmmm...Am fast heading towards the path of eternal fats. *sigh*

Skipped coffee on Tuesday.. which made the day feel e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y slow-moving. Thank God we have music while working. Otherwise, there's no soothing this caffeine-deprived beast. Hahahahaha...What would i do without music.. and coffee.. and friends.. and ok, a whole lot of other things. But that's another point altogether. :P

Anyway, you know how music plays an important role in movies? Yesterday, i had TWO of such incidences.. not of movie (obviously *rolls eyes*) but certainly the existence of music which added zing to the situation.

Was on the phone with my client over some hiccups in our project. She was lamenting about our dependance on emails/technology. And the very thing that's supposed to make life easier, has also made people irresponsible. Just as she finished saying "Whatever happened to the good old things that we had? Don't people appreciate those anymore?", the song that was playing on my comp went 'Don't it always seem to go, That you don't know what you've got till it's gone, They paved paradise, And put up a parking lot...'. Hahahaha...

After work, i met up with Csu for a late dinner at the hawker stalls just across the road from my office. As usual, we talked about work, places we'd like to go, things we want to do... and the lack of funds. And how we cannot afford to not work, given the financial responsibilites we have... car, credit cards, taxes, future house. Again, just as Csu sighed "WHY did we have to grow up and have this to deal with?", a busker nearby sang 'Yesterday... all my troubles seemed so far away, Now it looks as though they're here to stay...'.

That cracked me up. Life is one big drama...or so it seems. 8D Then again, maybe it isn't so bad after all. At least, i can still laugh about such things.

"This music is the glue of the world. It's what holds it all together. Without this, life would be meaningless." - Empire Records (1995) -

For better, for worse

Over the weekend, i attended my friend J's wedding. I remember her telling me years ago, that she would never get married. We used to laugh about it, that she is too headstrong for any man to tackle. And through the years we've been friends, she has been my pillar of strength - from the time we both taught in Sunday School for children with special needs, to the years she was ministering in Vietnam, to the time we worked together at the Youth Centre and also counselled others. She is one person whom i know i can count on (even though we hardly get to spend time together :P).

I am honoured that she trusts me enough to share her ups & downs of her relationship with CT, to be the 1st person she calls after he proposed to her AND also to ask me to coordinate her wedding. I am very touched that she still wanted me to be the key person, even after she has engaged the services of a wedding coordinator (because she knew i was stretched thin with work and she didn't want to wear me out).

I once asked her "Why me? Why choose me to be your coordinator/key person when i hardly have time for anyone?". Her answer was simple, "Because you know me. :)" This is probably the best compliment i have ever had. To know that someone is willing to trust you with something so big even though there may be a million other people more qualified (in skills & experience) to handle it.

Despite the sudden downpour in the middle of the ceremony and everyone had to run for cover indoors (it was a garden wedding), the confusion of seating arrangements, etc.... i'm very glad to see that J and CT was smiling all the way. And it wasn't forced smiles but genuine appreciation to everyone who made the event possible.

As the sky cleared up, I said to her "we're here for you, RAIN or shine". 8P It might've been one of the worst puns told at that time, but it couldn't be more true. My dear friend is now officially a "Mrs.". I wish her & CT a heartfelt Congratulations and many, many, many 'showers' of blessing. ;)

Through the rain

Today, as with the last few weeks, is filled with mixed emotions. First, LaRosa left the agency. A few weeks later, Kit left. Then now, it's Moo's turn to leave. It was good working with them all this time, through the ups and downs, the laughter and disappointments. But i guess it was time for them to move on and i wish them only the very best. :\

It hasn't been easy for the rest of us left behind. With the increasing workload and unnecessary/ridiculous stress from clients, it's sometimes easy to let it get the better of us. I can't recall how many times i've wanted to say 'I give up. I don't want to take this anymore.' And perhaps, on more occassions that i'd like to admit, i have becomed impatient with people around me. I've allowed frustration to creep into the tone of my voice and it's never easy to show that it's the situation i'm angry with, not the person.

I'm glad that through these dark moments (btw, it's pouring cats & dogs outside. Kinda fits the mood)... there are friends to lighten the situation, no matter how near or far they may be. :)

Siryn & Csu, thanks for putting up with me (almost daily). I know i'm not the easiest person to get along with. :P
Foodie, am glad that we're still close.. despite the miles that separate us. Hope things turn out good for you too. *hugs*
Glen, you've definitely kept me entertained with your pix/posts. Now i'm not sure if i should throw you a fish or a banana for brightening up my day. ;P When are you collecting your volcano cake?
Terry, thanks for your email. It's really sweet of you to ask. ;)
Loki, i STILL don't mind going as your luggage for Milan. ;) Boleh?!?

I want to give you all a BIG hug for being who you are (though i'd probably just suffocate you by doing so :P). So instead, here's a big fat slobbery cyber kiss *MUAX*

Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou.... *MUAX again, in case you managed to escape the 1st one*

PS: Siryn, i'm not sleeping with a cloud OR clown above my bed.. :P

Hot and bothered

Had a mini getaway with Csu & Siryn over the weekend. Wasn't anything fancy but I DEFINITELY needed the time out. We didn't tell anyone else where we would be heading but just that we would be out of town.

We took an hour and a half drive up to Berjaya Hills (formerly know as Bukit Tinggi). We paid about RM400 for a 2D/1N stay in a 1-bedroom suite at Colmar Tropicale, a french-inspired theme resort. Includes buffet dinner & breakfast as well as entrance to the Japanese Garden & Rabbit Farm nearby.

We were kind of disappointed that the temperature wasn't a cool as we hoped it'll be. Then when we went to check-in, got a mini heart attack when the Front Desk couldn't find our reservation. *aarrgh* But lucky it was sorted out quickly since since we had the confirmation & payment slip.

With spirits lifted, we almost skipped along the cobblestone path to our suite. ;) I couldn't stop laughing when a clown (really... a real one with facepaint & all) in the main street greeted Csu & Siryn with "Welcome to Colmar, Auntie". You can see the sudden drop of Csu's jaw when she heard that. She asked if she really looked that haggard from working. Hahahaha....

As we were opening our suite door, the next suite door opened. The guy stood there and said "Welcome". For that split moment, we all thought he was one of the house keeping staff so we said thanks and smiled. Then he continued to stare at us and started asking where we're from, etc. We freaked and literally ran into our suite. Couldn't shut the door fast enough. Ugh.. what a start to our much-awaited getaway.

Lucky thing that our suite was really roomy & nice. At least we can stay in and hide. Hehehehe... After exploring the rooms, gawking at the size of the HUGE bathroom (seriously, i kid u not. IT's the size of my bedroom at home), flopping on the 4-poster bed, taking silly photos of each other & the place... we went out to scout the area. Went up to the Viewing Tower, walked along the Main Street, down to the mini moat, then across the bridge towards the outside of the resort. Continued snapping photos of everything and each other till my camera battery went flat. GAHHHHHHHH.... and forgot to bring the charger. *smacks self for being so stupid* Fortunately, Csu & Siryn had their cameras so the rest of the trip, we still had photos. :P

After dinner, was DVD marathon on Siryn's laptop. Was in very relaxed and contented mode till someone rapped very loudly at our front door. You can imagine the sheer terror on our faces when we saw that it was already 2am in the morning and recognised that the voice outside was from the 'freaky' guy next door. He kept hammering and hammering on our door, calling us to open it. We kept so so silent till he finally went away. I, for one, am totally freaked by this. Without meaning to be racist but i think i've had too many unpleasant experiences with people of that particular race.

Next morning, we were still so 'traumatised' that we tip-toed past the suite and ran for the elevator. After checking-out, we drove to the Japanese Garden. After parking, walked about 300m up the steep hill to reach the Garden. Almost died climbing up. :P Spent almost 2 hours in the garden, just chilling and taking photos. Was contemplating if we wanted to walk in the botanical garden as well since it was already getting late and the sun was very very hot. Suddenly we saw this group of men going entering the botanical garden and realized it was 'him!!'. So that aborted our visit and we left the place. Came back to 'civilisation' after that and am totally knocked out from the trip.

Think it was fun to getaway for a while. Would've been better if it wasn't so hot and there wasn't anyone to bother us. Still, all in all... i guess we did manage to have some laughs and plenty of photos. ;)

P/S: The rest of my photos can be viewed in my 'Captured Moments' in the 'Colmar Tropicale' album. Will add more when i get the files from Siryn & Csu as well. Enjoy!!

Lights. Camera. Action.

Been working till late for past week or so. Don't even realize how late it gets till i step out of office and see the shops have already switched off their lights and rolled down their shutters. (they close about 10pm here) 8\

Sorted most of my photos into albums (as form of relaxation). Still have a lot more to organize but at least this is a start. My albums can be viewed by clicking on "Captured Moments" which i've put in the side bar on the right. :D

Totally missing out on social life & gym work-outs. GREAT! Not only will i be fat but will fester & rot too. :P Leaving office now. Am too tired to even comprehend the simplest info. Good night!

*falls asleep at desk*

In manner of speaking

I've been meaning to blog over the past week but kept getting interrupted. Work is busy.. which equates to a good problem coz it means we're still in business. ;) With tight deadlines and multiple projects at hand, it's only normal that i have to put in extra hours, have more meetings and perhaps meet the client over the weekend to tend to details, etc. All part of the job isn't it?

What irked me though, was not that i had to give up some of my leisure time, but the fact that i had people calling and querying why i'm so busy. I appreciate that i have friends & family calling me throughout the week just to see how i am. Most of them understand when i say i'm in a meeting/busy and can't chat. They usually say ok, take care or ask me to return their call when i'm free. :)

But it was a couple of them that kept calling and calling (despite the numerous times i've said that i'm unavailable) that really pushed me over the edge. I already told them beforehand that i'll be tied with work and will call them when i'm available. Yet they continue with their "what are you so busy about?", "how can you be so busy?", "who works such hours?".... (mind you, i've been going home at 9ish instead of 7 so that's not too bad. Bad is when i have to work past midnight) :P

Maybe to some, it was concern but to me, it was WHINING. It wasn't just the persistent calls but the tone and manner to which they posed their questions. I was really on the verge of retorting "Are you questioning my credibility? Are you saying i'm a liar?" when they began to even question my answers.

I think it's unfair to question.. no, correction...challenge why i can spend an hour at the gym but not see them for dinner or if i choose to spend time alone/with family instead of them. Call me selfish but i think i have every right to prioritise the things i want to do with my time (or lack of it). So what if they have a lot of time of their hands/hate their jobs. Heck.. that's not MY problem. I can't be responsible for your decisions/life/etc. And stop making it sound as if it's my fault that you don't know where to go or what to do on your weekends.

I'm not sorry if i enjoy my job (despite the stress sometimes) and have a million other things to do. So live with it!! :P

This is why i still love my job... blue skies & (many) chances to experience this fantastic view.

Hanging out

It's been a busy busy week and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. *sigh* In midst of all this chaos, i STILL try to make time for friends and gym.

Though i'm beginning to sense a (scary) recurring theme whenever i talk to people... sooner or later, the topic of their weight/size/shape pops up. What's worse is that usually, it's the thinnest of the group that brings up the topic of being 'fat'. Just last night at the gym, a group of girls lamenting how much weight they've gained over CNY. Blimey... their waist is probably equivalent to the circumference of my thighs and YET they kept saying how 'fat' they've become and as if to prove the point, started pinching "imaginary" flab on their stomachs. UGH!!!

Mind you, i'm all for looking good but does it really have to be anorexia before one is "appealing"? Have we become so shallow? Why can't exercise be about keeping healthy? Fine, if you need to lose a bit of 'wobbly bits' here and there. But do it for health sake - to prevent heart disease or diabetes or whatever. Just don't kill yourself thinking that you're only attractive when you're looking like a stick-insect.

My friend Mal made a snarky comment about push-up bras & corsets. She wonders why women bother with those IF the purpose of it is to look more appealing = attracting opposite sex. Excuse the following remark but IF it's going to come all off at the end, wouldn't he be seeing you in all your glory? Then what happens? Would he bolt the opposite direction when he sees the 'real' you? And if he does, what in the world are you doing with someone like him in the first place?

I was rolling in laughter when Mal said all that but i can't help agreeing with her to a certain extent. I'm glad i have friends who love me as i am... blubber and all. So i say this (as a reminder to myself too)... Love yourself!! Keep healthy but love yourself for who you are! Enjoy life & Let it all hang out!!! Hahahahaha...

Have a good week everyone!! *HUGS*

Storm over pulled tea

Met up with Csu at about 11pm last night. Decided to forgo the usual Starbucks/McD hang-out and headed to the mamak stall near my house instead. It's been a while since we 'lepak' there, enjoying malaysian style of al fresco dining while inhaling toxic fumes from the cars zooming by, sipping our teh tarik and chomping down roti canai. We even had satay! Yummmmmmmm......

We talked up a storm about so many things - from work to travel to movies to culture to everything else under the moon. Kept ordering cups upon cups of tea as we yakked nonstop. The calories consumed can probably generate enough energy to light up the whole street. :P

Staggered home at about 2am and went into coma till the alarm blared in my ear this morning. Life is great.............

You know what i did last...week

I'M BACK!!!! Had a thoroughly unproductive (by my standards) 10 days in Penang. If i'm not plonked in front of the TV hugging a huge tin of crisps/cookies, i'll be shuffling about in my flip-flops sans make-up and hair sticking out in peaks & horns. Everything seem to move at a slower pace back there. I had to slow down my walking pace so much that i swear i saw a snail over-take me. 8)

Visited most my relatives and collected a generous sum of ang pows while deftly dodging the "haiya...why you still single?" questions. Hahahaha... Didn't really make efforts to call my old friends. Wanted to keep a low profile this time. Met up with Csu when she came up for a day and had a quick 'precious hour' catch-up with Vix. Other than that, it was a 'me-time' holiday. ;)

Hawker delight

Some of the food i had.... don't have many shots as i would be too busy stuffing my face with it before remembering i did not take a pix first. :P Sheer gluttony....

Mmmm.. went with 1st Uncle for Dim Sum breakfast. Needless to say, the table wasn't big enough to hold all the food we ordered.
Another favourite - Koay Teow T'ng. Rice noodles cooked in meat broth. Usually served
with meat balls, fish balls, fish cakes and veg.

A trip home will be incomplete without Char Koay Teow, one of the many hawker dishes which Penang is famous for. Flat rice noodles stir-fried with beansprouts, prawns, cockles, egg & chili.

Raising 'good luck'

Yee Sang - a must for every CNY. Traditionally eaten only on the 7th Day of CNY, now it's available throughout the 15 days of CNY celebration and some people even have it a few times. Talk about being extra 'prosperous'. ;)



Yummmm... Quail marinated with soy sauce, 5-spice powder and honey. Then fried to perfection. Not your usual CNY dish but i enjoyed this nonetheless.