Wake me up before October ends.

Time flies! Another 2 month+ it will be a brand new year. I am ashamed to say that I didn't achieve much this year and I am going to celebrate my last 20+ birthday soon.

1. Resigned
2. Started something with a friend and earning much lesser
3. Not married and have no plans to
4. So no baby for me...hahaha
5. Still staying with parents (paiseh XD)
6. Not owning a car (still under mom's name)
7. Nor a house (don't know what happened to the house I am supposed to buy -_-)

Sigh. I do feel nervous at times when I look at the list above. I can only console myself saying that I don't have to follow other's footsteps! Reasons given:

1. Don't have to work for people anymore
2. Doing something that I like
3. I can still spend CNY with my loved ones especially on the 1st day of CNY (for Chinese, if you are married, you have to spend the 1st day of CNY with your husband's family)
4. Baby is cute and nice to play with but it's definitely not easy to take care of. Huge responsibility.
5. I can spend more time with my parents
6. At least I am done with the installments
7. I don't have to pay for the installments, yet.

I am not complaining, I am just looking at what I have instead of what I don't have. Life is not bad after all :).

Bukit Tinggi, May 2010

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. ~ Willie Nelson

A Sunny Sunday

It seems so much easier to write about my life when I was in UK. Is it a sign of aging? I have more concerns towards my privacy now (not like I am a celebrity -.-) where I try not to reveal too much about my work and relationship. Additionally, my life is busier in Malaysia. Sorry lor, no such thing as 10am - 6pm-working-hour-with-an-hour-and-a-half-lunch-time-plus-15-minutes-tea-time-&-working-OT-is-prohibited kind of working environment in Malaysia for me.

I guess this round, I will let the pictures do the talking, some travelings that I've done recently.

Went to Cameron Highlands in July with primary classmates.

Tagged along with alpha boy and his friends to Melaka over the weekend.

A ride to Genting on a Sunday morning on alpha boy's motorbike.

Looks familiar? haha, I cheated. This is taken when I was on the way to KL for a meeting.

Air Asia airport (duh! I wish I can leave on a jet plane), just the airport. Sending mom off to Perth.

That's it for today. What? The title is not related to the entry? The title is there to tell you that I am writing this on a sunny Sunday :p. You have a great one!

Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.  ~Grandma Moses

Red Alert

My health has been deteriorating since I stopped my weekly swim 4 months ago. The first obvious consequence is weight gain. I'm 4 kgs heavier, building up fats instead of muscles and I can no longer fit in size 8, sometimes 10. I look FAT instead of fit.

The worst part of it - I am not feeling well. I get migraines easily, body aches and couldn't focus on the things that I do. But I experienced something that really scares me this week and I am still going through it. I have been having headache every day. YES, EVERY SINGLE DAY. For the first few days, I thought I was too tired and didn't pay much attention to it. It was until the fourth day, I realized something is really wrong.

I went for massage, to Tui na and even Guasa therapy. All told me that I've sprained my shoulder muscles. I thought so too and I am still hoping they are right. The fact is I am not feeling any better after the treatments. The pain didn't subside, it still come back especially in the evening near 4pm+. 

I take this as the RED alert and I need to do something about it (I still want to get married, succeed in my career and take care of my parents!!!). Exercises and control my diet - starting from now onwards. I went for a 20 mins jog and did another 15 mins stairs running today, gonna cut down my carbo consumption and of course sleep early.  

Life is short.

I know I posted this before but I guess this pic acts as a good reminder (actually it's because I can't find other post-related picture to post :p)

From the bitterness of disease man learns the sweetness of health.  ~Catalan Proverb

Itchy throat

I don't mean to abandon my blog, it's just that when you have more than 5 sites to update & maintain @ the same time, your personal blog seems to be the less important XD.

Well, my life has been pretty busy. I am normally stuck at work during week days, hence I appreciate my weekends a lot - to spend time with family, alpha boy and friends. & if I am lucky, perhaps some time for myself. I do miss those times where I just laze at home, doing nothing. It seems so far away now but I am not complaining :) That's a decision I've made so I gotta stick with it. 

I've been gaining weight and I am afraid to step on the bathroom scale. Alpha boy is complaining a lot, saying that I eat too much and lacking of exercise which...is TRUE! SIGH. But I managed to jog a good 40-mins over the weekend okay, I did try :p 

Just a short update for now COZ as mentioned in the title, my throat is feeling a lil weird now, a symptom that I am going to be sick. So, bed time :) 

Where there's a will, there's a way. Taken at Cameron Highlands, 17-08-2011 by alpha boy.

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are
something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
- Joseph Addison

Another entry in July 2011

I have been busy. Work has taken up almost all my time except weekends.

Hopefully I will be able to blog properly soon.

Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished.  If you're alive, it isn't.  ~Richard Bach

Listening to...

I thought of J when I was listening to this song for the first time. Her story and her pain. The one that you thought you could spend the rest of your life with, left you. He/she is already moving on with his/her life without you. Yet, you are still stuck at the same old place hanging on to the past.

But, no matter how excruciating the pain is, your wound will heal. I wish the best for you, my dear friend.




Love this! Especially this part of the lyrics "What there is to complain about?". Everyday we complain about the small little things in our life and we don't realize we complain so much that we forget how to appreciate.

We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. ~  Frederick Keonig

Facebook Comments: Good feedback to customer?

Updated: Just found another Facebook comment from the same restaurant owner. Scroll down to find out more. Seriously, I think it's quite rude. What say you?

Asking a customer not to come to your restaurant? Complaining about your customers on your Facebook page?

Someone commented about this particular restaurant on one of the group coupon's site. Out of curiosity I visited their FB page. Tell me what do you think?

A person unlearns arrogance when he knows he is always among worthy human beings; being alone fosters presumption. Young people are arrogant because they always associate with their own peers, those who are all really nothing but who would like to be very important.~ Friedrich Nietzsche

So...

I lost the mojo to blog.

I was reading my old blog a while ago and was surprised to find that I can blog about so many things and write so much craps last time. I actually enjoyed reading my old blog entries as if I was reading someone else's life but in fact it was mine.

Did something in me change? 

At this phase of my life, most of my peers have settled down with a high pay job, a family, a house, a car/cars and travel once or twice a year. I am no where on par with them. Most of the time, I will tell myself to be happy and appreciate what I have now instead of worrying about the future. But the fact is I really dislike uncertainties but it seems like not everything is under my control...

At this moment, I just want to move on with my life. I really hope things will turn out fine and I refuse to stuck at where I am now.

Random photo of the day:

Sunset @ Mekong River, Vientiane, Jan 2011.

There are two things that one must get used to or one will find life unendurable:  the damages of time and injustices of men.  ~Nicolas Chamfort

Random Photo: Dog Bolster/Bolster Dog

According to MG => This dog is so fat it looks like a bolster with legs and ears. Photo taken in Taiwan, 2010. There were other dogs in the restaurant (could be caused by consuming too much leftover food) inclined to the same shape but not as serious YET :O!

It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being.  ~Henry David Thoreau

Bad (Worst?) dining experience!

I got to say I haven't been in the best of shape. Things are not going well and am feeling helpless especially towards those that are out of my control. MG said I shouldn't worry too much and should let go a little because there's nothing I can do about it. I wish I could.

& salt is added to the wound - I had a terrible meal yesterday. It was so bad and I wonder why the restaurant is still around (I am not cursing okay).

First of all, I asked if they have WIFI, a young lady told me yes and passed me a small piece of paper with the password. The problem with the paper was, bad handwriting and she didn't tell me the connection name. A guy came over to take order, he's wearing an apron with short pants and a pair of slippers. As if he's supposed to work in the kitchen, he couldn't speak proper Cantonese and from the way he speaks I think he's not well trained at all to serve a customer.

Something like this plus an apron

When the food arrived, I smelled curry. The rice came separately in another bowl and I started to worry. This is not Korean style bibimbap at all! I questioned them and apparently they sent me the wrong food. There're only two customers  in the whole shop yet they made this kind of mistake. It's not the worst yet, my nightmare came when they served me the "REAL" bibimbap. It looks fine before I mix it but when I did, I regretted.

Look at the amount of fungus and sauce -_-

They provided too much sauce and the sauce tasted so weird! It's supposed to be Korean style sauce but it tasted like curry sauce and I am pretty sure they added curry powder. Can you imagine tasting Indian curry in Korean food? The vegetables consist of 90% of fungus instead of the standard veges we got for bibimbap.

At the end, I only manage to eat 5-10% of the rice?

By the way, the restaurant is Swan Lake Korean Stone Pot at Sri Petaling. Some of the feedback I found online:

Click to view a larger version

NEVER AGAIN -.-

If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food.  ~Sally Edwards

Hangover

I was having hangover this morning, after effect of more than 3 pints of Kilkenny. I am not complaining as I didn't have to foot for the bill :p.

Sorry for the abrupt end of this entry, gtg for Evon's birthday dinner. Will continue later :)

Updated:

Just came back from supper Evon's birthday dinner. I can say that the type of friendship we have (Evon, me & Sze Ying) is rare. Every time it takes a while for us to explain to people how do we know each other. We don't meet often but they are the friends that I know I can rely on. 

I can never forget how Evon accompanied me through my heartbroken period. Never failed to be there for me whenever I needed her. She could allocate every Friday night just to spend time with me even though she could have spent it with her bf. Sze Ying who has helped me so much when I told her that I am going to start my own business. The contacts that she have provided, the information that she has shared. 

It's a blessing to have met them, genuine friends are hard to find and I am really glad that I have a few. 

Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.

My weekend

It was supposed to be a weekend to Johor Bahru to visit Fei and MG would go for his wedding lunch. However due to unforeseen circumstances, we have to cancel the trip. I was quite disappointed as I've not been going anywhere recently, staying at home most of the time.

MG came to my place on Sat morning, dilly dally for a while and we headed to PJ for lunch. We went to Old Town (not the kopitiam) for hawker food. The hawker stalls are within walking distance to our primary school. My parents used to bring me there for breakfast every Sunday after my drawing classes (too bad, I am not talented in drawing. Drawing the same stick-man for 3-years -.-, shame to face my teacher). I particularly love the Chee Cheong Fun and the prawn mee! The price is  slightly cheaper compare to other hawker stalls out there. 

Me eating my favorite Chee Cheong Fun (noodles)

MG's prawn mee

That's our primary school!

We decided to go to Empire Subang Jaya after lunch and we saw this:

The tallest indoor spiral tube slide. A tad expensive though, RM 12 per entry. 

I didn't try, my kiasuness tells me it's not worth paying RM 12 for it. Ended up with a dress and a pair of aviator sun shades. Thanks to my sugar daddy.

Spent my Sunday working and went for dinner with the Lepak Gang. Thanks Yap for spending us Jap dinner at Hanazen, Jaya One & it was my first time trying Ochazuke, rice with tea:

The salmon is just nice but somehow I feel that the dish has been amended to cater the locals. They provided clear soup instead of the traditional green tea.

We adjourned to Old Town Kopitiam after dinner to continue with our chit-chatting sessions. Seeing how time flies and everyone is settling down one-by-one, another two couples in our gang will be ringing the wedding bell next year. The first baby in our gang will arrive in less than two weeks time!

Gonna end this post with a random pic:

Fake coconuts. Look real from far.

Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror.  It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving.  ~Martin Amis, Money

Pandan-Lemongrass-Ginger Drink

It's a beautiful night~ we are looking for something dumb to do ~ ...you guess the rest. The song that I am listening now, MG calls it "a song with stupid lyrics" lol but you can't deny the music is catchy.

I was having a sweet tooth last night. Eliminated food from the craving list (on diet, you wouldn't believe how much weight I've put on), I can only go for drinks. No soft drinks and I would prefer something healthier, hence decided to make use of the ingredients that are available at home.

So, I ended up with the Pandan-Lemongrass-Ginger drink (or you can call it the Lemongrass-Pandan-Ginger or Ginger-Lemongrass-Pandan or Pandan-Ginger...haha, I know you feel like slapping me already, better stop). Ahem, so back to the drink:

The ingredients: 2 stalks lemongrass (clean it with water and bruise the bulb to get the most taste out of it), 4-5 pandan leaves and a few slices of ginger. (Please ignore the stamp border -_-)

Add 2 cups of water (you can add more if you dislike heavy taste), boil with low heat for about 15 minutes. Then add another half cup of water, boil for another 15 - 30 minutes (I prefer heavy taste so I boil it longer).

Add sugar (when the water is boiling). Around 3-4 teaspoon. (you can use any type of sugar but as I said I prefer something healthier)

Tadah! Here you go, you can add a stalk of lemongrass as deco. You can drink it hot or with ice.

The above recipe can serve up to 2 glasses of drinks (around that la...haha). Just multiply if you want more. The drink helps in improving digestion and lemongrass, according to some research kills cancer cell. For more information, you can refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbopogon

I personally love the drink a lot because it is easy to make and the ingredients are easily available (coz my mom plants both pandan leaves and lemongrass, maybe I should get her to plant the ginger too...hmm) or else you can get it from the market.

That's all for now! (Suddenly I feel the pain of blogging again...lost for words T_T).

The belly rules the mind.  ~Spanish Proverb

A new start?

I used to blog actively when I was in UK for my working holidays. Then I stopped blogging after I came back as I was going through a tough time (looking back, it's peanut now) and I wouldn't want my working holidays blog to turn into some depressing-why-you-treat-me-like-that kind of blog -.-

So I guess it's time to pick up the blogging habit again. It's a way to improve my writing skills coz I feel that my-already-not-so-good writing skills are deteriorating, a space to share my thoughts/findings with my friends and it is also a method to release my tension.

If you have read my previous blog, you should know that I don't write proper English (ok la, actually my English are not that good *shy*). So if you are here for that, you better head somewhere else coz the way I blog might make you puke blood and start blaming my English teachers (not their fault, really). 

SOOOOOO, this is the start of my blog (again :p).

At Bukit Jalil Park, one of the rare mornings where I woke up early and went for morning walk with my parents. Oh, can you see the birds?

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.  ~Author Unknown