Prego!

By the time you folks read this, I'll *finally* be on a plane to Venice, Italy.

I will be spending Christmas and New Year's with Phil, so as usual, you'll get pictorial updates either along the way or when I get back on January 3rd.

'Till then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!

And specially, Happy Birthday to Darren, whose birthday I'll sadly miss this year. I hope you have a good one!

Romance, oh romance, where for art thou hiding?

Now Playing : "Skylark" - Monica Mancini

Rom-coms 'spoil your love life'

First, click on the link above and read the article. Then scoot back here.

I've always enjoyed watching romantic comedies. In fact, on my list of favorite movies, You've Got Mail scores big. I especially loved the dialogue and at that time, the thrill of meeting someone through the internet was intriguing.

Heh, see where that got me *wink*.

I think that romance as a whole, is pretty subjective. After reading the article, I couldn't help but find myself acknowledging that some of what Hollywood wants to project as being "romantic" has shaped my definition of what's romantic.

Yes, I want to be slow dancing on a dock or on a deserted beach on a quiet night under the bright full moon. Surprise candlelight dinners sound good too. The guy showing up unexpectedly anywhere I am at knowing I'd be ecstatic he did. Midnight walks in the park. Snowball fights. Smooching in front of a fireplace. Being cheeky in a dark cinema.

Heh. I got carried away.

But seriously, how many of the above have not appeared in movies? I tried to think really hard of something that I'd consider romantic that hasn't yet appeared in any movie. I failed. 

Up until me being with Phil, I've been sporadically in a few relationships--none of which felt serious or important enough for me to be thinking of romantic situations which I'd like to happen. I suppose it was just as well that none of them were very romantic at all either. 

Being in a relationship with Phil has taught me that you can't expect the other person to be romantic the way you want them to be. Of course you could ask, but what's the fun in that? I've learned that all the small (or big) things your loved one does with/for you which makes you smile are what makes him/her romantic and that's what Hollywood can't tell you. If this can't shape your own personal definition of romance, then truly, rom-com movies have indeed ruined your love life.

That being said, rom-com movies aren't the only culprits. Ever listened to a song and cringed at how cheesy the lyrics are? There is only one song in mind which takes the cake for this.

And after you watch it, I don't even need to explain myself. 

Then again, nearly all of their songs are pretty unrealistic, though it's nice to dream ;)

Watch it. I don't care how much you protest.

And to put the icing on top...

I can't wait for this Friday's Christmas party!!

Just add a touch of Chemical X ...

Now Playing : "Am I Wrong" - Love Spit Love

I'm at work, and I'm bored. It's only 10:20am, I've been here since 8:25am and I won't have a class to teach until 2:30pm. What fun. Trying to kill *some* time, I decided to blog. Yes, something I haven't done in awhile, I know. Thousand apologies.

A couple of days ago, June and I were fantasizing what super powers we'd want. Naturally, we had different answers but this conversation shot me back to a thousand moments I've had over the course of my schooling days.

I'd want, and always have, the ability to manipulate time.

Why bend time? Why not X-Ray vision or supersonic speed or invisibility, etc. Minus the fact that most of them belong to Superman or whomever in a Marvel comic, think about it, to be able to slow time down and speed it up would be infinitely beneficial to one.

Exams around the corner? SLOW DOWN (to study). Sardined in traffic? SPEED UP (to get it over and done with). Nothing to do for hours at work? ZOOM. Already a Sunday afternoon? SCREEEEECH!! (no explanation necessary).

Impending Italian holiday next week? :P

Zoom Zoom Zoom!!

Unfortunately, despite it being more convenient, there would be two things I'd be concerned with having such power.

Firstly, I'd get impatient. Well, actually, I can get quite impatient at times (mostly on the road heh heh) but if I knew I didn't have to wait around for something to git done, as the corporate speak goes, I'd maximize full potential time utilization and minimize time wastage! Think of all the other things I could be willingly wasting my time on! Like getting all impatient and taking a trip to the future and seeing, just for curiousity's sake, where'd I'd be in 10 years. Would I be married? Have had kids? Drive some super power Lamborghini? Own Apple? Hah! Tempting, isn't it?

Also, I reckon I'd get rather evil. Evil? What? It's just bending time, you squeak. I bet a gazillion gummy bears that there are god knows how many kids, come exam time, would love to bring time to a halt and casually walk up to the smartest kid's desk and take a peek. Or two. Or just a very long one. Oh, how I have fantasized as an average student! ;)

It would be easier to rob a bank. Sabotage a friend/colleague/boss/dog/whomever--not that I'd do it. Well, not now anyway, since I don't have an inkling of a radioactive spider's bite. I probably won't do it, but on the other hand, we are talking about me being possibly evil here. Heeee.

I'd be screwing with the widely popular/accepted philosophy; you can't be perfect. Not that having this ability would make me perfect, but to be able to go back in time and rectify all the mistakes I've ever done, I'd be imposing perfection on self. This could equally backfire, I could end up being totally nonchalant about my actions. So what, right? I can just go back and re-do everything.

I think having this super power would no doubt be amazing. However, I think in the end, it would just end up doing more damage than the initial convenience because really, I am only human, and we're a flawed species.

Sulz, what'd you pick?

If you were born during the 80s...

This was truly one of my ultimate favorite cartoons when I was a kid...

My Extended Weekend in Penang

You know me better than to assume these are the *only* pictures I took during my trip to Penang ;)

The pictures below are simply my favorites out of the whole bunch.

Enjoy!

A (Late) Night Out at Hard Rock Cafe

Well finally something to blog about!

Ok, that really sounds depressing. Either way, yesterday we met up with our oldest cousin Wee Liat who was down here on a trip from Australia at Hard Rock Cafe. Dinner was supposed to start at 8pm, but yours truly, having had to travel to USJ (it was my maiden voyage there, worse that I was driving alone and unfamiliar with the place) for work, got lost twice on her attempt to get home. So dinner started at 9pm instead and by that time, everybody's stomachs were rumbling in symphonies. 

It was a good dinner overall with the talking and catching up, but sadly to say, HRC's food quality has dropped drastically and nobody enjoyed their food (which made late dinner sort of worse) not mentioning that the night cost us RM400. I think the only thing good about the night was that we all got to see Wee Liat again. You can be sure that we won't be visiting HRC anytime soon and would have rather spent that moolah at Chili's or TGIF. 

See any resemblances between us?

Ian loves his steak!

My burger...which I didn't love. Or even like. Bleh.

Seasonal Colors

Well, sort of.

I know I've been a bad, baaaad girl for not blogging enough lately. My days have been quite full, with my job demanding a lot of my energy for most of the day and after-job activities which drain whatever remaining energy I have left. By the time I come home, blogging is the last thing on my mind as I relish my bed, sweet bed.

But this is the month of Christmas and I thought I'd liven up this place a little by posting something colorful--be it M&M's. 

Hopefully, I'll have something more interesting than food to blog about or to take pictures of. Maybe someone can suggest something! Or maybe I could pick your brain!

Sweet Jessica

Jessica, you could possibly be the sweetest person I know!

Three of my whiteboard markers went missing today and by the end of the day, after searching in vain, they're still missing. I'm pissed but hey, I can always get replacements but this sweet sweeeet woman suddenly flutters by my desk and plops this note on my desk.

I WAS SOOOO TOUCHED!!!!!!!!!!!

I *heart* it!

It's scary what we choose to sacrifice

Today, I scared myself.

I've always been one to put loved ones first; family, boyfriend. Whether it be a simple outing to a major decision, it was clear and simple. No need for second thoughts. 

Then I got this job--my first job--which has been causing me to sacrifice time to be with subjects of matter. At first it was missing two dinners a week with the family. Shortly after, I was cutting down on quality time with Phil on two days.

Now, this job--this, highly unstable job, is giving me back my two missing dinners but taking away five days of substantial quality time with Phil.

And I'm accepting as of tomorrow.

It's a bittersweet thing.

I'm happy to be able to no longer work nights...but, how could I have said Yes, to lean towards agreeing to something which would take away more of what little I have with him? Do I have to sacrifice even more sleep five days a week? Would I sacrifice it?

Yes, I would.

Knowing eventually, it would take its toll on me. I'd grow old faster, die younger and eye bags so big I'd be mistaken for a panda.

But who am I? Sacrificing all these for what? Money? It's sad.

It's just a job!

Loved ones are loved ones.

I just hope I'll only need to keep on doing this for not that much longer.

I don't want to be forced to give up more and more.

Happy Birthday Jules!!

Darren and I hope you had a blast during your celebratory dinner, ice cream and cake tonight! Oh, and of course I hope you like your presents! 

Have a happy birthday, dear friend!

You should click here

Pizza, eat your Hut out!

Look at the amount of cheese on that thing!

By far Puzzini's best pizza--their tuna pizza! I had like four slices in one sitting! :O

The cookies have invaded!!

An army of 200+ strong cookies have invaded my home through the microwave and has taken over our minds!! Strategically entering through our mouths, it's only a matter of days before they set up camp in our hips!!

Save me!!!

Did I mention they're effing delicious? :(

Accidental Handiwork

So, I was bored at work today. That is, after finishing all the marking I had to do and getting out of my I-still-feel-too-sick-to-be-working-today funk, I looked around (i.e my desk) for something to do. We have a mini mini play coming up next week and I wanted to kick up the excitement gears in my kids. Now, to those who know me much too well, I can't do anything productive with my hands...well, almost. ;) 

Handiwork, handicraft, whichever it is though I assume both carry more or less the same definition, has never been my forte. Also, I have no patience for that kind of stuff and habitually shun it. I brought an empty tissue box as a makeshift jewelry box, an empty stapler box as a cigarette box and tissue as hankies. Yeah, I am that dull in the creative department.

Then boredom, as I said, kicked in. I hoped to find some sort of colored paper to make it look not like such an obvious tissue box but didn't find any. Ugly, white, boring foolscap paper had to do. When that was done, my box was a white fugly box. So, hoping to jazz it up a bit, I searched for some sort of glitter pen or at least a colored gel pen that I may have lying around. Nada. Had a fine tip blue whiteboard marker pen. Not exactly your preferred choice but it was good enough to draw stars on the box. It was a jewelry box, after all. Had to make it look sparkly-ish. And of course, I had to label it "JEWELS" as a personal in-joke of obviousness. This was the product of said handiwork attempt...

The so called treasures in the jewelry box. Notice my three abysmal police badges.

Once I was done with that, I must admit I was feeling rather proud of my handiwork achievement. I haven't done something like this in...well, many freaking years. So I thought of making something else my play needed but of which was missing; handcuffs. After many pathetic thoughts including one of stapling two long thin pieces of paper together as makeshift handcuffs, I noticed I had some paper cups left from the mini class party from the other day. 

This, I'm particularly proud of...

You people in handicraft organizations, don't fret...I'm not planning to join your handicraft societies and all. This is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon sort of thing...despite it being much more fun than I would have thought it to be.

Bang 4 Buck

Lasagna, Spaghetti Olio (I think), Chilled Salmon Pasta, Carbonara

I've fallen sick, yet again...mind you with more or less the same thing as before. I seem to fall sick quite often ever since I started working and it's no wonder too, with the minimal air circulation and having multiple (sick) kids cough into your face and all that. Sigh, I really must build up on my antibodies.

Still, I managed to have a last spontaneous dinner before I have to hold off for awhile. Su Lyn and I skipped to Italiannies where we tried their special 4 pastas for RM30 and although as you can see, their portions were quite tiny and only meant for two, the excessive talking helped put a little air in our tummies to not make us order more! Quite suitable for tiny eaters who want a variety of delicious pastas.

I recommend this to everyone who want Italian food and are on a budget. 

Puddles, the camwhore dog

How appropriate is it that we have a dog who shares a certain similarity with its owners!

All we need to do is point the camera at him, call out his name and he strikes up a pose for as long as it takes you to press that button.

Isn't he adorable here?

I confess

I saw it twice and bought the soundtrack.

Now it's looping in my head.

I never grow up, apparently. :|

Nando Nogo

Now Playing : "Everlong" - Foo Fighters

Ok, you know how much I love Nando's right? That I could eat their chicken all the time if my wallet and jeans size allowed. Heck, I probably would borrow money just so I could smack my lips at the tangy hotness of their garlic sauce.

Well that just sounded like porn. Never mind.

It's no secret (especially since I moan the fact all the time anyway) that the Malaysian service industry suck balls. I think I may have found the place where the creme de la creme of blur cases work--and it's unfortunately at my nearest Nando's.

*wails*

I went there to have a late-ish dinner with the family tonight. It was 9pm by the time we sat down and our stomachs were growling with hunger once we salivated over the menu while giving our orders.

The blur-case waiter kept returning to our table to reconfirm our orders, as if the reminder on the notepad he wrote our orders down on wasn't enough. Dei, what were you scribbling when you were taking our orders lah? Tic Tac Toe? 

Nevermind. Still can tahan.

9:25pm. Wahliao, damn freaking hungry already. The manager suddenly pops by our table and said the cook or waiter or possibly both got our orders wrong. So we were asked to wait another 10 minutes. In a little while, our starters, Ian's and my plate arrived. You'd expect that the rest of the family's orders would soon emerge after ours did, right? 

9:40pm. Halfway through my chicken only then did Mum and Fred's food arrive. As if the first mistake wasn't bad enough, they got Fred's order wrong. Wrong sauce. Good thing for his stomach and the Nando's staff, Fred tucked in anyway.

9:50pm. No sign of June's order. Unanimously agreeing they weren't out catching chickens to slaughter, we found out that they had forgotten hers. Grumbles of "bodoh" and cusses began to circulate our table. Miraculously, June still wanted her chicken! XD

Here's the biggest joke; once her food came, THEY GOT HER ORDER WRONG!!!!!!!!

Eh hello, the cook having an off day or what? 

Never mind the fact that when we pointed out they got the order wrong, in two seconds flat the correct order was plopped onto our table. By then, we were all quite understandably pissed and in cahoots to eat as slowly as we can so the staff had no choice but to stay at work late. We were the last customers there...after all, with all the blur-cases messing up our entire dinner, should they dare open their mouths and remind us they were closing soon, almost surely they would suffer the wrath of a thousand arrows.

And of course, I still had to pay the service charge. Wait lah you, the moment voluntary 

tipping becomes a practice in this country, mampus you.

That being said, I will never eat at Nando's in Atria Shopping Center ever again!!

Or at least until they change their blur staff.

Sugar

Once upon a time, not quite so long ago, soda was my water. Then as you know, I embarked on a healthier eating lifestyle and cut out sugary drinks except for very special occasions. Last week was one of those special occasions, and I treated myself to a can of that sugary liquid. 

Whoooaaa...!!

My heart started beating faster. My stomach bloated to rival a pregnant woman's. My pulse races and soon, I was knocked out. From a sugar rush or crash or whatever you call it. Throughout my blackout, I could feel my heartbeat not slow down.

At first, I was terrified.

Then, I suddenly realized it was a good thing. For me, my body to react like that to soda. That it's a good thing because it aids me keeping away from the unhealthy beverage. It's better that I react in such that I don't feel inclined to drink it on a more regular basis. Or even be tempted.

Because it was a horrible feeling. As if I was going to pop an artery and die right there and then.

In short, soda killlllz!

Happy Deepavali!

Happy Deepavali, Darren and family! 

Thank you for inviting us over to your home to wreck havoc on your youngest host! :D

Also, the food was awesome and believe me when I say I got my fill of muruku!

"Come eat my food...or I'll smash mutton curry in your mouth!"

Darren's homemade muruku which I absolutely die for!!

Jules and June satisfied with the yummy Indian food.

The well dressed host with his slightly off grin :D

I just love this picture so that's why it's up here :P

The End of Birthday Celebrations

It's been too long a while since I've had a really great birthday.

This year's is one to always remember...thanks to the people involved and the days spent celebrating it, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend it (other than having Phil down here with us, of course).

Tonight, my family went for our long awaited annual birthday dinner, this year at some really fancy Japanese buffet restaurant in Eastin Hotel. This marks the end of birthday celebrations which began at 12am Thursday and what a way to bring it to an end with great food and great company.

My family and I having awesome Japanese food!

A big surprise!

My dad got me this camera as my birthday present, something quite unusual for him as he normally gives angpows for my birthdays. 

Another big surprise!

My dad got my mum this really cool new phone, also something quite unusual for him as he normally gives her jewelry and angpows as well!

Sigh.

What a great birthday.

BEST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION EVER!!

I wanna thank these few people for making it absolutely wonderful!

June

Jules

Darren

Fred

-->Click Here<--

Happy Birthday To Me!!

Twenty-three!!

Woo hoo! It's my birthday today!!

It's been one I've been looking forward to a lot, even more than my 16th or 21st birthday as my 23rd birthday holds a lot of significance for me--or at least for this family because the number 23 holds a special place in our hearts.

I want to say thank you all soooo much for the birthday wishes I have been receiving and I'm touched you took the effort of sending them.

Also a special thank you to my family, most especially my sister June, for toiling over two birthday cakes for me and my mum's birthday! (I did mention we share the same birthdate, right?)

Here are a few pictures of our traditional midnight celebration :D

Our lovely cakes that June baked.

 Can you guess which belongs to who?

One of the best cakes I've ever had!

I didn't want to cut into the beautiful cake...but eventually I caved.

Oooh, and colorful surprises behold inside!

Someone sent me this lovely birthday card...and forgot to sign it.

I have no idea who sent it O_o

Birthday cards from June and Mum!! Lovely!!

June's homemade birthday gift to me.

Inspired by our joke-cracking dad, of course. ;)