Thursday, December 20, 2012

28. grooming and make-up

Nowadays I'm leaning more towards clothes that covers my aurat ("skin"/"flesh"). It's nice to wear baju kurung (Malaysia's traditional outfit) especially to work. It's easy to wear and doesn't require much effort on my part.

I find myself making more of an effort now going out, such as curling my hair, putting on make-up, etc.   It's amazing what a little foundation, powder, smudge of eyeliner,  and lipstick can do for you.

I never really liked putting on lipstick until I finally found the perfect shade for me, which is Maybelline's Color Sensation lipstick in coral crush. Now that I've found the perfect shade, I think I always look bland and "just-got-out-of-bed" if I decide to forego it. 

Here's a few looks of me with the lipstick. Now I'm on the hunt for more great lipsticks and eyeliners. Revlon's eyeliners, no matter how self-proclaimed it claims to be "smudgeproof" and "stays on forever"always tends to wear off after a few hours of wear. I love their foundation and primer though.


What lipstick colors would you recommend for a dark, Asian tone for me? :D Here's a picture of my cat, Max, being scared of my pink hairdryer just for fun.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

27. what do you believe in?

Last weekend I took an impromptu trip to Ipoh, Perak with my close friend, Sarah & Sha Roose. My little brother tagged along too, amidst copping me for RM 20 to purchase Kinder Bueno chocolates, sandwiches, and Twisties, grr.

After a slow and steady 2 hours drive to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur (most of time which I dozed off at the back and woke up just in time to see "Welcome to Ipoh" signs), we finally arrived and proceeded to look for FOOOOOOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD.

Prawns, prawns, and more glorious prawns. We're the prawn freaks. The power of prawn love runs deep into our veins.

 

The gorgeous temples built into the limestone caves we saw in Ipoh.

We were in for barely 5 minutes before the security guard came and shooed us away. Guess the temple closes early on Saturdays :(

I know many people question organized religions, but no matter what beliefs or faiths you have, I think it should be respected. It doesn't matter if you believe in 1, 2, 4, 8 Gods, seven steps to heaven, reincarnation, or karma; your beliefs are your blankets in life that guides you on your everyday behavior and attitude. Everybody has their own believes that they are entitled to. Even atheists believe in the non-existence of God. I am equally in awe of entering a Buddhist temple, as would I be entering a mosque or any other place of worship. These are people's dedication to their beliefs into building every foundation, rock, and statues for all these places.

But then there are those who take to their own misinterpretation of the religion, either through forms of bigotry or overzealousness. Those are the kind of people who give their own brand of organized religions a bad name. Not all Christian priests sodomizes little boys in churches. Similarly, how not all Muslims practice the killing of innocent women and children in the name of God. Not all Jews are responsible for the murders of Palestinians. 

In the end, it doesn't boil down to organized religions, it just boils down to what you perceive the meaning of life is. For me, life is too fleeting to be "all there is". There's the question of "is this it?" I do believe in the afterlife, that we will somehow live in a place far more remarkable and magnificent than the beauties of the world, henceforth dubbed "syurga" or "heaven" by many. I believe that our actions on earth will be judged by Him on the day of judgment.

I believe in Qada and Qadar, which is the concept of divine destiny by God. That is to say, everything in our lives have been predetermined by God before we were born. God alone knows when we were meant to born, who are our life partner(s) will be, and when our date of death will be. But it is up to us to determine how we live our life. Here's an excerpt from Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons"-
Omnipotent-benevolent simply means that God is all-powerful and well-meaning.' 
'I understand the concept. It's just . . . there seems to be a contradiction.'
'Yes. The contradiction is pain. Man's starvation, war, sickness . . .'
'Exactly!' Chartrand knew the camerlengo would understand. 'Terrible things happen in this world. Human tragedy seems like proof that God could not possibly be both all-powerful and well-meaning. If He loves us and has the power to change our situation, He would prevent our pain, wouldn't He?'
The camerlengo frowned. 'Would He?' 
Chartrand felt uneasy. Had he overstepped his bounds? Was this one of those religious questions you just didn't ask? 'Well . . . if God loves us, and He can protect us, He would have to. It seems He is either omnipotent and uncaring, or benevolent and powerless to help.' 
'Do you have children, Lieutenant?' 
Chartrand flushed. 'No, signore.'
'Imagine you had an eight-year-old son . . . would you love him?' 
'Of course.' 
'Would you let him skateboard?' 
Chartrand did a double take. The camerlengo always seemed oddly "in touch" for a clergyman. 'Yeah, I guess,' Chartrand said. 'Sure, I'd let him skateboard, but I'd tell him to be careful.' 
'So as this child's father knee, you would give him some basic, good advice and then let him go off and make his own mistakes?'
'I wouldn't run behind him and mollycoddle him if that's what you mean.' 
'But what if he fell and skinned his?' 
'He would learn to be more careful.' 
The camerlengo smiled. 'So although you have the power to interfere and prevent your child's pain, you would choose to show your love by letting him learn his own lessons?' 
'Of course. Pain is part of growing up. It's how we learn.' 
The camerlengo nodded. 'Exactly.” 
We have the destination, but we control our fates our our journey. But we should respect all who chooses to make their journeys in their own ways. In the end, we all end up as dusts and bones, and what we leave behind are the changes we make in our own world.

Friday, December 14, 2012

26. the stages of dating

Relationships really take a lot of effort and is very draining. There are many levels, stages, and does-and-don'ts to do when you begin to reveal yourself slightly to a potential soulmate. It usually starts by meeting someone through a mutual friend, at a bar, through work, etc.
"I think you're cute and funny, let's go out sometime. Give me your number."
"Okay, sure."
Stage 1: I don't know you, you don't know me.
This is the stage where you watch everything you say, what you wear, whether anything is stuck on your teeth, where you want to laugh like a walrus but instead you laugh politely. This is the stage where you hold your fart from the second you meet that person until you go to the toilet, or worse, home.

Potential conversation:
A: So, where did you grow up?B: In KL... I went to SMKXX... my parents split when I was seven.. A: Oh really, I'm so sorry to hear about it. Are you alright?B: S'Okay... I was forced to move to XX bla bla bla
And lots of smiling, tucking your hair behind your years, body signals, etc.

Then it's:
- LET ME PAY -- OH NO I INSIST -- NO PLEASE, I'M THE GUY -- I BELIEVE IN 50:50 -- HOW BOUT YOU TAKE NEXT ROUND-- OKAY -
Before: I had a great time - me too - soooo I look forward to seeing you again - okay, I'll call you later. 

And then you'll shut the car door and sigh to yourself.
And smile when you received a text/whatsapp from him saying "I had a great time tonight, free tomorrow?"

Thus you guys start whatsapping/texting each other daily.

Stage 2: You know XX?
This is the stage when you try to act coy and play cool, when all you want to do is call/text/whatsapp each other every day. You'll receive random messages from him throughout the day, with silly 9gag images and jokes and "I was thinking about you..." You try to slot in dinner with him once a week regardless of how busy both schedules are.

Stage 3: Motherfaka.
This is the stage when you find out that he's a devious cunt that has a girlfriend. All hell breaks loose. 

Stage 4: Armageddon
This is the stage where you curse the asshole for all eternity and you swear that you'll never let a guy in anymore, that why oh why are all guys are jerks. ugh.

Stage 5: Repeat Stage 1 - 4.
- THE END -

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

25. goofball

There are so many to-do things to launching the bike shop this Sunday, like forms to fill, stocks, inventories, learning all these bike jargons, not to mention the planning of the event launch and coordinating all of it together.. that sometimes.. I... just... goof off. 



How would you feel working for somebody crazy like this? Haha.

Friday, November 9, 2012

24. theory of being busy.

It's getting more and more hectic :( I fear for the frequency of blog posts within the next few weeks, due to Bajugraphy's crazy schedule and my additional side project.



(A friend took this picture of me with this giant hulk beast. Unfortunately, my friend sucks as photography and didn't take a full body shot, haihhh. I look like the witch from Matilda, with squared toes and all).


Just a random shot of me with my hair to the side or swept backwards. Yay you can see my new employee card! Doink.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

23. When boredom strikes

Is to camwhore. You know, sometimes your mind tends to wonder and meander and everything jumbles up, just break the craziness of it all by goofing around!


Me and Adeline. She's wearing my vintage red jacket, bought for RM 30 from a thrift shop :0


Ida, Azira & me at a conference. It was 4 pm, heavy rain pattering outside, and we were struggling to stay awake, post-heavy-lunch.

#OOTD: Sheer white chiffon top and thigh-high split black pvc aline skirt from Cotton On. 

It's crazy sometimes how much things I have to do :0 Better than being stagnant and bored!

Monday, November 5, 2012

22. work crazy.

I am currently working on a project that is under wraps. All I can tell you is that it will be launched in November :) You would never guess what it is. It's a little out of my comfort zone, so I'm trying my best not to be intimidated or scared shitless (it's a daunting task sometimes).


Here's me with Hafiz, one of my staff who will be working under me. He reads me blog so hellooooo. Work your ass off, ya! Hehe.


Here's me with Nazrin & D, post consultation and discussion for the project launch. I get asked a lot if it's weird working with my ex. Alhamdulillah, I think I've come to terms with the past and the best thing for me would be just to move on with my life. It's a bit weird at times but to me, business is business and you have to separate your personal life and professional life. You have to build a really thick skin and be strong-willed.

At the end of the day, for me it's about finding rezeki. It didn't just fall into my lap; I've always been self-sufficient and independent since I was 17, and for me it doesn't matter where the source is from, as long as it's legit and I'm earning from this. Who can say, at the age of 24, that they've launched two successful projects, both completely different from the core? Who says no to money and success? It works out different for different people, I guess :)


Here's a picture of me being completely silly at work :) I'm daydreaming on Doof beanbags about Brad Pitt or someone hunky, heh. Most likely.

Friday, November 2, 2012

21. flip through.

Just some random shots to describe what I've been up to the past few days.


I love lazy weekends like this. Wearing an oversized shirt with shorts and flats, and having spicy, Mexican brunch on a hot Sunday. My style is very casual. Comfort and light pieces are the key.


Mucking around and being silly with my friends (some finger exercise thing). Sarah, Faheem, Amal and me. These are people who have stuck around like warts for a few years. Sawadeekaaap!

 

Me, Amalina and Sarah. I've know Amal since uni; she was my noisy roommie with super huge bug eyes. She's an amazing person; always there for you, and will always be there for you; no judgments or reservations. I love you Miss Bloomysmal! Sarah needs no further introduction; she's my rock and will always be.


Me, Sarah and Hawa on Halloween night (long story short, I didn't have time to wear the vampire-witch-costume I bought. Hehehe. These are the girls I'm with almost every night. :)


Saying goodbye to my brother and sister-in-law at the airport. Will miss you baby Ashy!

 

New aviators I bought. I wanted Raybans but the ones at the shop didn't suit my face so I got one that was pretty affordable for only RM 270. 


A beautiful kaleidoscope of clashing colors during sunset on the way back from work to home :) Breathtaking.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

20. the last remnants of palembang

I had to do a three-part post of Palembang for fear of it being too draggy, as well as the pictures lagging. You can view post 1 and post 2 by clicking the respective links for better understanding of the mini getaway I did. To recap, my trip there was to attend a family ceremony for my baby nephew, called "cukur jambul" (the baby's very first haircut, snipped by close family members).

Day before the event: These "flower boards" were sent from companies as a congratulatory token. My brother and sister-in-law received around 4 of these huge boards. The "higher" you are in the social ladder, the more boards you will receive.


I decided to wear a slightly unorthodox outfit, pairing my old batik skirt with a black lace top from bajugraphy.


Me, my sister-in-law's sister, my sister-in-law holding her son (my nephew), and my sister-in-law's sister-in-law holding her daughter.


The batik skirt was getting very uncomfortable after 6 hours of wearing it soooo I whipped it off and paired comfy leggings. This was when the guests had left. I'm with my sister-in-law, my nephew, and my brother.


Me with my cute baby nephew! The cukur jambul dais was very grand.


I love this little girl's cute pink jubah! You can see from two pictures above her mom was wearing a matching one. Super sweet :)


And the above are some of the gorgeous clothes I purchased for myself from Palembang. A girl's gotta spoil herself sometimes!

Monday, October 29, 2012

19. a clash of cultures

Indonesian cuisine leaves one tastebuds miffed. It is always brimful of spices, salty, and most of the times, you can taste sugar in every dish. But all the food I've tasted thus far are delicious. Although it assaults your tongue in all ways delectable, so you can't really consume much of it, only a little.


This is kelapa susu manis. It's essentially the coconut flesh in fresh coconut juice, mixed with bendera kental manis (condensed milk) and gula Melaka (palm tree syrup sugar). In my humble opinion, this drink was so delicious, much better than jus alpukat (avocado juice). Just thinking about this refreshing drink is making me salivating. Drool!


This is pisang karamel (caramelized banana). Oh my God, this dessert was absolutely delicious. It's essentially banana fried in a crispy, crunchy batter, and topped with grated cheese and drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrup. It should be eaten piping hot. 


This is one of Indonesia's signature dish, bakso. This was from a restaurant called Bakso Malang (unlucky bakso). It's essentially meaty beefballs served in a delicious broth, sometimes with noodles, tofu pieces and so forth. Topped with their spicy chilli-soya-sauce, you could be enjoying a tantalizing mix of fiery, wholesome beef in your mouth. 


As the saying goes, When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do. In this case, when in Palembang, eat as the locals do. The top dish is a popular Indonesian dish called ikan terbang or "flying fish". My god, it was cooked perfectly; crispy on the outside, moist chunks of fish on the inside (you can see my father's impatient fingers in the picture). The bottom is kepiting masak lada hitam (crab in black pepper sauce). You know it's good spicy when you're gasping for water but you're still holding onto the crab. These dishes are from a popular restaurant, Riverside Restaurant.

The gorgeous view from Riverside Restaurant. Clear, sunny skies. What a beautiful sight to see.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

18. a little change of air never hurt anyone.

For the first time in almost a year of working, I applied leave for almost a week *gasps*. Work is fun, but it was time for me to reconnect with my family, and finish off those to-do-lists after procrastinating for so long. The perfect opportunity came when my mom told me that my brother and sis-in-law, along with their 6 month old son, would be doing an aqiqah-cum-cukur-jambul ceremony in my sis-in-law's hometown at Palembang, Indonesia. I was lucky my leave was approved, as I would be leaving during a very hectic and time hurrahh!


I haven't been on an aircraft for a year (the last was Langkawi in September 2011... eww bad memories) and for my journey, I hoped to seek some inner peace, tranquility, serenity boring blahness.


When I was on the plane, there was a few seconds of turbulence where the plane kind of swooped down for a few seconds, and in that few seconds, a face immediately came to my mind. I don't know if I'll see that face again but that person means a lot to me. If it's up to Him above, God willing, it will happen. Or not, haha!


The beauty of the world from high above was breathtaking. It reminded me that we are all just tiny pieces in the scheme of the universe. That the only constant in our lives are change and our period of mortality, coming to a stop sooner or later. It's up to us to roll the dices of happiness in our hands. Though, we are all mere mortals and our temper, jealousy, and impatience are our shortcomings that will eventually lead us to our inevitable self-creation of unhappiness. 


So try to chip away those negativity, and live life with no regrets. If today was your last, what would you have done differently? Slept less? Say "I love you" to the one who matters? Eat whatever? Pray on your knees, forever? Everybody has their own keys to unlock being happy :)

Thursday, October 18, 2012

17. rainbow sweetness.

I talk a bit too much about work sometimes. So here's a blog post for Sue :) I used to work at Nuffnang - great place, and I still keep in touch with some of my ex-colleagues, meeting up with them for dinners and such things from time to time.

 20121011_222134_Plop_zpscacb89ab.jpg

We all met at Frontera, Jaya One to celebrate Sue's birthday :) I finally met her significant other. They both seemed very sweet together, sharing food together and all. Then I received a surprising news. :0 What is it? If you're still following my blog next year... you'll know :)


The rainbow cake from Lola was very very cute, can I have one for my birthday? I want to blow out candles to rainbow layers of wishing this and that.

It's always great to meet these girlies (plus Victor, ex-Nuffnanger I met after I left). It's always great to meet Anne and Thara (hot mama-to-be) whenever I can. Nowadays I'm super busy, cos I'm doing my full-time job and I'm handling two side projects. So yep, it's a little hectic! But I'm gonna try and stick to blogging daily (*snorts*).


That's me and boredom whilst waiting for a super long traffic light on the way to work. Nothing to do with driving recklessly; I've timed this traffic light to perfection every day on the way to work (3 minutes of doing nothing).