To Go Or Not?
What do you say whenever your friends or colleagues or relatives ask you out?
Do you always say, “erm… Let’s see how when the day comes”?
Or, “I’m not sure if I’ll be free then”?
Or, “well, I may not be able to make it then but tentatively I’m ok”?
Or, “I’ll be free if I have nothing on”?
Or, “where are we going? What are we eating? What time? Who else is going? Hmm……”?
Or, “I will try to go but I can’t promise”?
Well, we know that you all have a life and you’re busy and all that. However, is it really so difficult to just say, YES or NO?
First of all, if that is someone I do not wish to go out with, I will just quickly say that I won’t be free and sorry that I can’t make it. It is just that easy. No art or skill needed.
Other than that, my answer is always pretty quick and clean, “YES, I’ll see you then”, “NO, sorry I won’t be free”. If I am keen to meet, I’ll even suggest to meet another day.
I wonder why some people find it so difficult to make up their mind. I am sure you know your own schedule. If you already have a plan for that day, why can’t you just say so? There is seriously no need to say tentatively you’re ok or that you will try but you can’t promise.
If you are going to meet a friend for a good catch up or gathering, does the place and food really matter? No point in asking where to meet and what to eat.
What? You can’t because you’re not sure if you will be free then? C’mon, I am asking you now, shouldn’t you be reserving that particular day for me then? First come first serve, haven’t you heard of it? Unless you don’t want to see me, otherwise, that is a very lame excuse.
I’ve been getting all of the excuses as stated above, from friends/colleagues/relatives. When I get that few more times, I stop asking these people out. I stop taking initiative to be the first one to ask them. If they’re really keen in seeing me, now they take the first step. I have tried and I am tired of it.
There are some who will always tell me that I never ask them out, but when I do, they will tell me how busy they are and they can’t make it. So I told them, you come ask me when you are free. Then, they never ask. Few months down the road, the same question pops up again, that when am I free to meet them? Sigh…… Why can’t you just give me a date and I will tell you if I’ll be able to make it?!
Then, there are these people, who always say that they’re OK for the time being, but they can’t promise if there’s going to be any last minute changes. I would be like, WTF! You have already made a date with me, how can there be any last minute changes? OK, fine, emergency matter, I totally understand. But do you need to say that every time?
I appreciate those who always give me an absolute answer, “yes, Ashley, I’ve marked my calendar for you”, “no, Ashley, can we make it maybe next week?” I love them! We will always work on the best date for each other and we stick to it and we wait for the day to come, all done just within a few minutes. If there is any changes later, first thing first we will always inform the other one and we work on another date again. It is just so easy but I just can’t understand why some people can’t seem to do that.
If I don’t ask you out again, I’m sure you know why. Please don’t blame me for not asking you out again. I have tried (and I’m sure you know it too), and I have failed too many times. If you are still unsure of the way I will respond to your request, don’t bother asking then, ’cause that shows that you don’t know me at all.
When I tell you my calendar is still empty for all the weekends in June, take my words and go pick a day. I’ll surely say yes, provided if I’m keen to see you. :P
Getting In The Mood
You know, when you know that you’re going to go on a vacation, the mood starts to settle in. Sometimes it kicks in a month before the trip, sometimes it only starts a week before. Generally, you will be in the mood for travel as the date approaches. You get excited, you start packing up, you look for places of interests and you are happy. You have that little voice in your head yelling “YAY” every morning you wake up. You can hardly wait! You even wish secretly that time could go a lil’ faster! You want to get out from this place and away from work soonest possible.
Hold on there…… I am writing in “YOU”, not “I”. Aaaahhhh…… Hmmmm…… Sigh……
I will be travelling to Bangkok tomorrow, with a bunch of lovely friends and Andrew. Seriously, the mood hasn’t come knocking. Hello Missy Travel Mood! Have you forgotten about visiting me?
Andrew was the one who booked the tickets. I wasn’t feeling anything back then either. When I booked the hotel a month ago, I was more like in a state of gotta-book-now-or-else-sleep-on-the-street.
I didn’t even bother to search for the attractions in Bangkok until last week. Melissa is the one who keeps feeding me the information and I felt so guilty. :P
I am not even doing the counting down. I did plan the itinerary with Melissa, but I do not “feel” it. I planned for the sake of planning, because I do not want to get the panic attack in such a foreign land where I can’t even understand their language.
I started packing for the trip last night, but still, I don’t “feel” it. I am worried about the HOT weather, I was trying to pack some casual and light-weight clothes. To my surprise, I have little of them. They’re either too plain, or I already feel HOT by just looking at them. I realised my wardrobe has either the working side of me, or the VERY casual side of me. There is nothing in between. Hmph! :(
This isn’t the first time I feel mood-less for a trip, but it is worse this time.
I am preparing for the sake of preparing. I know I am going somewhere, and that’s it.
I am not jumping with joy that I will be going for a vacation. There’s no little voice in my head yelling “YAY” everyday.
I know what I am doing and should do, but I am not feeling excited.
It’s like, “Okay, I’m going to Bangkok”.
Sigh…… What is wrong with me…… Going somewhere with a mood like this isn’t good. Guess I gotta switch it on “manually”, “Ashley, you’re going to Bangkok!!! YAY!!! Shopping!!! YAY!!! Food!!! YAY!!! Ayutthaya!!! YAY!!!”
Hope the travel mood will come when I see my friends tomorrow in the airport. Ya, their silly jokes can do magic. Wuahahahahaha.
我的妈妈
搞错没，题目怎么那么像小学作文题啊？！哈哈哈。管他呐，母亲节嘛。
我妈妈很爱美。只要一踏出家门，她就一定会打扮一番。就算是上巴刹买菜，她都要涂上口红！爸爸有一次揶揄说，“怎么？涂上口红那个卖豆芽的就会给你多5毛钱的豆芽吗？” 哈哈哈哈哈。
妈妈虽然60几了，却还在穿牛仔裤。牛仔裤配上低跟鞋，还是很有女人味。妈妈甚少穿平底鞋。
妈妈的头发，都是美美的。有时理发师把她的头发弄丑了，她可要唠叨上一阵子。有时爸爸说新发型难看，她就会老是抓着我们来问，“难看吗？你爸爸讲难看。有咩？”
妈妈的皮肤很漂亮。到现在还是坚持搽用那用了30几年的牌子。什么牌子我也不知道，可是她说很好啊，有美白作用。厉害！30几年前就已经有美白了！！！我试过一次，妈呀，那么油腻，亏她还能用30几年！可是妈妈的脸真的好滑、好白哦。
妈妈很有时尚感。她当然不会追潮流，可是她明白什么衣服会让自己穿起来漂亮。她对颜色的搭配，有时我觉得我们年轻人都要甘拜下风。就算是在家里穿的便服，颜色都是要搭的！我们姐妹有时候穿的随便点出门，她也会说上两句。
妈妈虽然只是高中毕业，可是很有主见，很有涵养。不会随波逐流，不会泼妇骂街。管教孩子有她自己的方法，我们姐妹都很相亲相爱（有点肉麻，却是事实 :P）。
妈妈年轻时很漂亮。婚后生子后，有种贵妇的气质。身为裁缝师的她，以前自己穿的衣服都是自己亲手缝制的，很时髦、很漂亮。看照片，很难相信那时候家里经济不好。妈妈的穿着简直就是富太太的样。
妈妈有一双长腿。很喜欢穿长长的裙子。还记得有一次爸爸看见妈妈穿起那长长的旗袍，眼睛瞪得好大，嘴巴简直是合不拢了。哈哈哈。吓到了，没想到妈妈穿旗袍那么美。:D 幸好，我和妹妹都受了妈妈的遗传，腿长。:)
看吧，有着一个这么爱打扮的妈妈，女儿们能不受影响吗？从小耳濡目染，多多少少都会染上妈妈的性格，爱美！
姐妹之间，吵架是难免的。可是吵归吵，和好如初倒是挺快的，没有什么隔夜仇。彼此也甚少计较金钱。应该谢谢妈妈把我们调教的那么好。
上一次回家时，看见妈妈忽然之间老了很多。心很痛、很愧疚。。。。。。当下告诉自己，要常回家了。
妈妈，母亲节快乐。
刚刚才发现，好久没和爸妈一起合照了！T__T 下次回去一定要拍！
Weekly Photo Challenge: Blue
Photo taken on a helicopter ride over the 12 Apostle on Great Ocean Road, Melbourne. The sea was deep blue that it looked like some Jell-O from above. The sky was so clear that I thought I was going to heaven.
It was my first heli ride and it was awesome. All of a sudden, nothing seemed to matter anymore. It was all about the sea, the sun, the sky, the Mother Nature, the creator……
We all are living on this gifted land, but we are taking things for granted. When will we human ever learn that Mother Earth doesn’t belong to us? We are like parasites feeding on her resources, and we give nothing back (except when we die).
Perhaps, all the movies about aliens exterminating the human on earth, isn’t all that fantasy at all.
Perhaps, someday, it will come true. Aliens, or disasters.
Perhaps, not the end of the world, but rather, cleansing.
Perhaps, then, Mother Earth can breathe again.
我们都需要爱。We NEED Love
早前在电视上听见这么一句话，“大家都需要爱”。我转头问身边的男人，“没有爱，真的不行吗？我们真的那么需要爱？”
幸运的我们，打从一出娘胎，就有爸妈的爱。再幸福点，有兄弟姐妹的爱。小时候或许不懂什么是爱，可是肢体动作上都表现出爱。渐渐的，爱，成了生活的必需品。无爱不欢呐。
不幸的，一出世就被遗弃。没有爸妈的爱，更别说兄弟姐妹的爱。年纪轻的时候，或许不明白亦不需要爱。可是，懂事了，却一直渴望爱与被爱。从哪学会要爱呢？
难道，爱是一种本能？
想想，如果大家真的那么需要爱，那爱，已经不是一种要求及渴望了。
爱，是一种需要，是必需品。
我常说，我爱Andrew，因为我需要他。很多人问，“你需要他才爱他吗？那并不是爱。”
当爱还没那么深的时候，我只是纯粹的爱他。
当爱越来越深的时候，我不但爱他，我甚至不能没有他。
所以，我爱他，因为我需要他。我需要他，因为我爱他。
不爱的话，也根本不会需要啊，不是吗？
以前写过，“It’s the same with I love my family and I need them”。我爱我家人，我也需要他们。我需要他们，因为我爱他们。
原来，大家真的需要爱。
现在，我能更明白为何有些人能为了爱，而放下自己的身段，委曲求全。
原来，都为了需要。
都为了爱。
我爱的人，和爱我的人。 ~ 摄于澳洲墨尔本，大洋路
Life Is Never Fair
What do you do when you know life is never fair, and will never be fair?
Murderer gets away after murdering someone innocent, and the police tells the family of the victim that, life is never fair.
Someone incapable is elected as a country leader, and the politicians tell you, life is never fair.
Someone who is innocent is convicted to murder and imprisonment of 20 years because of the flaws in the justice system, and you tell him, life is never fair.
Your dog who’s been with you for 10 years dies in a car accident, and your friends tell you, life is never fair.
You’ve been longing for a child for 12 years but you know you will never have one, and someone tells you, life is never fair.
You have a pretty face but you are handicapped, and everyone says to you, life IS fair as the creator gave you some but took away some.
You have a loving husband and a happy marriage but it only lasts 5 years, and all of them say, life IS fair because you have your fair share.
You have 3 beautiful children, a good husband and are young and diagnosed with terminal disease, and doctor tells you, life IS fair.
What do you do?
All of us should stop complaining?
Shall we also stop living the life as want it since life will never be fair? Or life will always be fair?
Life is so unpredictable. So, shall we stop hoping or looking forward to the future?
So, when we are happy or dying, we shall stop being grateful or complaining.
Life is never fair. Or, life is always fair. You win some, you lose some. This is life.
P.S.: If someone were to tell me that life is never fair or this is life when my brother-in-law passed away many years ago, I would have slapped his/her face. Say that (this is life/life is never fair) to his then 3 year-old daughter! Things don’t happen to you, of course you can take a back seat and say that. I’m sorry, I’m just ranting. Too many of unhappy news lately, people around me keep throwing bad news at me. I am so scared and worried, will it be me soon?
I will never reach the top,
I will never succeed in anything,
I will never hope,
I will never fight,
if you always tell me,
that this is life, it is never fair.
Perhaps, I will be contented,
that this is life, it is never fair.
Don’t blame me,
for not reaching the top,
for not succeeding in something,
for never hoping,
for giving up.
That is because, you told me,
that this is life, it is never fair.
~ Ashley (Photo taken on Mount Sorak, South Korea)
Unknown 2011
Now, I fell in love with Fox Movie Premium channel on Astro. :D Oh, don’t forget HBO too. I can watch movies all day and night!!! Guess what, I watched 4 movies last Sunday!!! :D
When it comes to Liam Neeson, it can’t be wrong. Nothing can be wrong with Liam Neeson in the movie. His acting skills can make you believe anything that he said in the movies is real. :D Whenever he speaks, I melt. Aiyoooo…… His voice!!!! I can’t recall since when I become so hopelessly in love with Liam Neeson, I only know that he can “kill” people with his eyes and voice. :P No doubt he is old now, but he aged charmingly. Just like Harrison Ford. :) Still remember K-19: The Widowmaker, seeing Harrison Ford and him appearing in the same movie, divine!
Ok, back to the movie Unknown. Wanted to watch it in the cinema last year but couldn’t make it. Couldn’t find it on PPS, been waiting for Andrew to help me to download it and last week, I saw the trailer on HBO and they would be showing it on Sunday night! I was so happy and I kept reminding myself that I must not forget. WEEEE!!! I did not forget!!!
Unknown was great, how the director spent time explaining the characters impressed me . I would be lost if I wasn’t introduced to the characters well, seeing Neeson lost his identity was already a confusing and mysterious one. The director is very clever in keeping you suspended, and yet making you wanting to find out why. You would be so well-behaved during the movie and your eyes would literally glue to the TV, you wouldn’t want to miss a single scene! Although there wasn’t many action scenes, the mysteries and dialogues were enough to keep you occupied. :P
I must say I was fooled a few times. I was so focusing on wanting to know WHY those people stole Martin Harris’ identity, it was such a surprise to know that Martin Harris himself was the assassin! I again was surprised when Jürgen the private investigator committed suicide to protect his client!
Everything was so well played and set, the truth was only to be revealed near the end of the movie. When you thought that would be it, the snake is out and THE END but hey, it wasn’t finished yet! That was brilliant!
However, it is weird that why Neeson at the end had a sudden change of heart, that he didn’t want to be an assassin anymore? Who did they work for? Weren’t those people his colleagues? Why did they want to kill Neeson after the accident? Weren’t they a team? Why didn’t they save Neeson after the crash? Sigh…… Guess I’ll never have the answers. Hmm…… Somehow, I found a little bit of similarity of Bourne Identity in Unknown, the backbone of the story is pretty similar. :) How nice if Unknown were to be in drama series. :D
Gen-?
We have the baby boomers, the Gen-X and now the Gen-Y.
Baby boomers had a hard time understanding and communicating with the Gen-X, they always called it the generation gap.
I, was born in the early 80′s, in between the Gen-X and Gen-Y. Of course, my parents are the baby boomers. Generation gap, always. What they expected of me, are totally different from what I want for myself. I have my own outlook on life, which they disagree. However, I am still their daughter, doing my best to be a filial daughter. No matter how different we think, I still respect them as my parents. After all, they have gone through so much, their life experiences are priceless.
Here comes the Gen-Y. Sigh…… We have no problem communicating with them, but the Gen-Y’s attitude is so different. If you say we Gen-X are spontaneous, wait till you hear the Gen-Y. If you think we Gen-X are rebellious, wait till you see the Gen-Y. If you feel we Gen-X are job-hopper, wait till you catch the Gen-Y.
The Gen-Y’s parents could still be the baby boomers, but why there’s such a huge difference in attitude? I don’t know, I have no idea.
I am not criticising all of the Gen-Y, there are the exceptional ones. Some of them with great attitude and they achieved big even at a young age. I admit, I’ve seen a few really talented ones and they’re already a manager before age 30. However, majority of the Gen-Y that I met, often with an attitude that I can’t bring myself to agree to.
Some of them speak like they know everything under the sun (due to the glory age of internet), but when it comes to real practising time, they fail miserably.
Some of them are really capable at work, but when it comes to interpersonal skills, they’re scoring zero.
Some of them have big dreams and wanting to reach for the sky, but they are not interested in going through rank and file.
Some of them only want BIG money, by changing jobs more often they’re hoping that they could reach where they want.
They know they’re lack of experiences, but they’re so arrogant to admit that and some even refused to learn.
Out of 10 Gen-Y that I interviewed, there are probably one that is humble and wanting to learn. The rest would give me all the reasons under the sun why they should be hired, but they speak with such arrogance that you feel like pouring cold water onto their heads to wake them up.
Some of them, even after they made a mistake, they would just stare at you blinking their eyes, they never admit their mistake! They’re like telling you, “ya, I made a mistake, so?” Some, even had the cheeks to tell you, “it’s okay lah”! I nearly fainted when I heard that. Some of them are so stubborn.
I totally understand their different perspective and attitude, what I don’t understand is their BAD attitude at work. Don’t they know what is work ethic? You may not have the relevant working experience, but what happens to your basic work ethic?
I’m not saying that the Gen-X is great, there are also the bad apples. But generally, okay lah. Kakakakaka……
Gen-Y, if you’re reading this and you disagree, it’s ok. :) After all, we just want to make the workplace a better place to work in. We are all just, EMPLOYEES.
THE Fear
It is inevitable that we have to go through life and death in our lives. Along the way, we lost and will be losing our loved ones. Life is fragile, and unpredictable. No one will know if you’ll still be alive tomorrow, which is why today is a PRESENT.
Lost my maternal aunt when I was in college. First time experienced losing someone in the family, but I wasn’t very close to her, the heart ache was bearable. Then, lost my maternal grandfather when I was in the final year of college. Family kept it from me because I was having my exam, it was a week after the funeral only I got to know. I cried all night, most of my childhood memories consist of him. I missed his laughters, and I still miss him now. 8 years ago, lost my brother-in-law to brain tumor. I grieved for a long time. Whenever I saw my little niece, I would be overwhelmed with sadness. Until today, it is still a wonder how my sister got through those days. She told me once, if it wasn’t for her daughter, she would have ended her life.
Exactly a year after I lost my brother-in-law, I lost my grandma, whom I was very close to. The heart ache I felt, I can never describe it. I remember I found it hard to breathe when I saw her lifeless body in the hospital, I thought my heart stopped. She was in coma for 2 weeks before she passed away, but no amount of time could have prepared you for the death of someone you loved dearly. I was so full of hope that she would wake up one morning and smile at me. I still miss her, very much.
Few days ago, a friend wrote on Facebook that her friend’s husband passed away, lucky that they don’t have children but sad that how her life would go on without the husband. I often think what would I do if the same thing happens to me (touch wood). I often found myself in tears when I thought of that happening.
Now that I have my own house, only Andrew and I living in the house. His father and brother would come to stay with us a few days in a month, but most of the time it is just Andrew and myself. Andrew was not home last Saturday when I read my friend’s message on Facebook. I took a look at the empty house, I was all alone…… I thought, “this is how it feels without him”. I suddenly felt the loneliness and it was so overwhelming that I thought I was going to die, I couldn’t breathe. So, THIS, is how it feels, lifeless and suffocating.
The moment Andrew stepped into the house, everything sprung to life again. I told Andrew what I was thinking and imagined waking up to an empty house everyday having no one to talk to, how can one survive that? I can’t. I told him that he must NOT DIE before me. Hahahaha. A very selfish request, but a serious one.
People always say, we have to be strong for the ones who got left behind. What if, there is no one worth to be strong for? Guess I’ll pack my bag, and go see the world, with the loved ones in my heart. They shall see the world through my eyes then. To avoid waking up to an empty house too.
They say, fear no death.
I say, fear death, for I want to make everyday count.
Today, is a gift of yesterday, it is PRESENT.
Bullying
Read a post from Moment Matters, Bullying Helps. Reminded me of the not-so-good times I had experienced long time ago.
Bullying, as explained in Wikipedia:
Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power. It can include verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability.[2][3] The “imbalance of power” may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a “target”.
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying can be defined in many different ways.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, words can be as harmful as knives.
Recalling the experiences…… I had this close girlfriend, who constantly told me that I was such a “princess”. She would tell me that I was such a princess to be so scared to go into the water near the waterfall which was nothing dangerous at all. She would say that she didn’t understand why I needed to feel so disgusted when I saw cockroaches on Fear Factor because I wasn’t the one who had to go through it all. She would tell me that she didn’t understand why I had to “analyse” so much before doing everything. Constantly, she was telling me I was behaving like a princess and it got on her nerves. She would say it in front of other friends and there was once it got back to my ears that she told others the same behind my back. She told people it was a nuisance to travel together with me. She was a sweet girl nonetheless.
After college, we remained friends for some time. She and I didn’t keep in touch as often as before. When we went shopping, she would tell me she was not as “rich” as me to shop in certain malls or shops. Our final trip together turned out to be an unhappy one. We did not quarrel nor argue, but things happened. I told myself that that would be the last time I’d ever travel together with her, and that was it. Back then, I thought I was the sensitive one, and I would ask myself the same questions over and over again. Sometimes I would even turn to Andrew and ask if I was such a bad person to deserve all those remarks for all those years. Came my wedding, her behavior put me off big time and I know I had to stop befriending her. Even my family found her behavior odd.
I’ve tried very hard to change myself too. Spent nearly 2 years to overcome the thought of I-am-not-good. Come to think of it, I have to thank her. Without her, I wouldn’t be a BETTER person now.
Not everyone is as lucky as I am, to have a good support system and guidance during the journey of recovering from being bullied. Also, not everyone has a mind of their own to judge things objectively and come out from a dilemma. I am grateful that I have a family who always tells me that I am a kind person and Andrew who is always there to analyse things and reason them for me. My analysing ability has also helped me in seeing things from another perspective, not to limit myself to just one point of view for the longest of time.
I’m sure we all have been bullied, serious or not, at some point in our life. In school, college, university, and even workplace. It depends on how you react or respond to them. From the lessons I’ve learned, I am now capable of handling bullies in the workplace.
No matter how strong you are, have you been bullied before?
Weekly Photo Challenge: Unfocused
Using low shutter speed, trying to take a good shot of Taipei city at night from Taipei 101 viewing deck.
Cursing myself numerous times for the shaky hands. This, of all the blurry images, came out to be beautiful in its own way. I deleted the rest, except this.
A sea of lights…… Waves of lights…… They’re like fish swimming across the ocean of darkness…… Colorful Taipei……
This reminds me of how much I miss Taiwan……
The Avengers 2012
Aiyoyo!!! The long-awaited movie is finally here!!! I’ve been waiting for so long!!! FINALLY, but was busy with work and stuff, and everybody is like “fighting” to watch the movie “first”, the cinemas are always full! Last night, went to Festival City and saw that MBO cinema is now open. Andrew and I wanted to see if the cinema is good and we can come here in the future instead of going to TGV KLCC where parking is more expensive. Bought the 2D tickets at RM13 per person. 2D simply means it is high definition.
Went in the cinema, my gosh, so small!!!!!!!!!!! I have to emphasize, it is bloody small! The screen, is tiny!!!! *Bangs her head* The screen is so small compared with TGV or GSC, this is like a mini cinema!!! You can’t even call it a cineplex! The seat, oh dear, it is so straight, and the screen is so high above!!!! I have to lift my head so that my eye level matches the screen! Terrible, horrible, vegetable! So tiring…… :( Both Andrew and I agreed, that we shall not come back. Hahahahaha……
Pardon my lousy drawings. :P Just to show you how it was.
Back to The Avengers. It was a great movie!!! Totally enjoyed it!!! Ironman is the hero of all heroes! He didn’t disappoint us. In fact, Ironman kind of like stole the show of everyone. I love the scene where Ironman fought with Thor. Human in a suit against a god! Real yet fantasy, so raw and rough. :D Also, love the new robot thingy on the roof top of Stark building that took off Ironman’s suit while he walked! Damn cool man!
Captain America still looked macho and charming and cool. He is not as genius as Tony Stark, but he certainly has more knowledge in fighting a war and strategies. Of all the superheroes (not including Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye), he is the only one who fought in flesh and blood, with a shield. Really admired his courage and he could remain so collected even in the worst situation. Suddenly, I had this feeling that Captain America (or rather Chris Evans) has matured a whole lot, like an old veteran.
Oh boy, Thor is handsome. :D His voice…… My goodness, I nearly got “killed” because of his voice!!! I’ve seen the movie Thor, love this big guy with so much of sentiments and huge voice. :P However, to see some gods in The Avengers, felt surreal. All of the superheroes are pretty much human, to add in the gods kind of mixed up the reality and the fantasy. For a moment, I truly believed gods like Thor do exist. Hold on a second, Tony Stark said in the movie that Thor is a demigod. Is he a demigod? Or a god? I’m confused.
It’s funny that the hulk who always lost his conscious when he turned green, suddenly he became aware of who his partners are and who the enemies are. It’s funny when he punched Thor after some fight with the aliens and Thor got thrown away!!! LMAO!!! Also, how he lifted Loki and crashed him like a doll! LOL!!!
Not to forget Hawkeye and Natasha Romanoff. Never know that Scarlett Johansson can look so sexy while kicking a**es!!! Hahahaha. She really did well in the movie. Jeremy Renner is no stranger, have seen him here and there in other movies. He’s like the Legolas of LOTR in The Avengers! Minus the long blonde hair and handsome face. :P He’s got another movie coming up soon, The Bourne Legacy. Andrew is already jumping with joy wanting to watch it. Hahahaha. I find that Loki’s character was a bit ”forceful”. It’s like they allowed him to “live” just to create the back-bone of the story, gave the avengers the reason to gather together and fight.
Generally, The Avengers was a great movie! Fun and hilarious. Every hero has their own human history that makes them what they are now. I truly believed that heroes are made. The movie was 2 hours and 20 minutes long! However, you wouldn’t feel that it was long because you would be busy following everything! For such a long movie, usually there would be situations where I would wish them to go faster or cut it short. For The Avengers, I didn’t even realise I have been sitting there for more than 2 hours! That is the POWER of The Avengers, managed to make you stick to your seat willingly for as long as the movie went. :P
You just have to watch the movie. One of the best Marvel’s movies. :) I’m gonna watch second time. Tee-hee. :D
I Stand Corrected
Back in year 2010, the first time I heard the song “Eenie Meenie”, I fell in love with it. Wanted to know about the singers singing the song. I know Sean Kingston, but it was the other one that impressed me, Justin Bieber. I thought, “wow, this boy can really sing!”
The more I listened to his songs, the more he impressed me. Especially “U Smile”, what a soothing song. Indeed, a talented young boy.
Then, I kept seeing Justin’s face on the TV. His hair-style began to annoy me.
Then, I kept hearing him on the radio with the song “Baby”. For goodness sake, the constant chanting of “baby, baby, baby oh……” really got on my nerves big time. What the…… Whenever I heard the song on the radio, I would either switch frequency or turn it off. I know it was a HIT song, but what, 3 or 4 or even more times in a day??? Give me a break!
Then, I stopped liking him. Stopped listening to any of his songs and not taking any interests in him anymore. I admired his talents and voice, but I seriously do not enjoy that sort of pop music anymore. I told Andrew, “Justin Bieber is just another new kid on the block crying for attention, shall not go far”.
When I saw he has got his own movie last year, Never Say Never, I was very sceptical over it. Thinking, just another teen flick promoting his handsomeness and awesomeness. Don’t we already know he is good looking and awesome? Never had I thought to go to the cinema to watch it, or buy the DVD or even download it. Never would I want to watch it.
Astro was showing Never Say Never the other night, oh boy. I had nothing else to watch and was too lazy to switch channel, so I let the TV on. Was sitting on the sofa Facebook-ing on my iPad and watching the show half-heartedly. It started with some videos of Justin Bieber when he was much smaller, to be honest, you can’t say NO to cute little baby like him! The baby Justin caught my attention, he was playing guitar sometimes, or hitting a face of a stool with rhythm like hitting a drum, or singing, fooling around with family……
I was impressed 20 minutes after watching it. He IS freaking gifted with music talent!!! A small boy can do drums and guitar without proper lessons! If that is not gifted/genius, what is? I was so impressed that I kept gasping and saying “walau… my goodness… aiyoooo… fuyooohhh……” I told Andrew, Justin doesn’t just some handsome boy that can sing, he has got REAL talents!!! Hats off to him. I stand corrected – Justin Bieber is NOT just another new kid on the block crying for attention, he will go far! Or I hope he can go far. Such a talented person shouldn’t be wasted, I hope he can stay in the music industry for as long as possible.
Fame is not easy, especially fame that came suddenly. From the show, I actually felt heart ache seeing him having to travel so frequent, performing, without family beside him, far away from home. A 18-year-old boy has to go through all that alone, is hard. Boys being boys, in the movie you can see he is still very much the boy-next-door that likes to play.
Justin Bieber, is just a boy with a gift. Andrew said, “so he has really got talents, not some pretty boy who only sings well”.
I’ve changed my view on him after the show. Now I admire his talents even more. Hope he would not go astray under the guidance of Usher. May him be surrounded with good people, always.
P.S.: When I heard and saw Greyson Chance, I was like, “aiyooo…… not another handsome boy”. Well, he sings good, he plays piano very well…… Somehow, I just don’t like him. Hahahahaha…… Bieber is good, at least I like him the moment I heard and saw him. LOL! :P
P.P.S.: Heard Justin’s new song yesterday, he sounds so grown-up!!! Oh ya, he’s 18 now, a total grown-up if you asked me. He’s no longer that person who sang “Baby”, am actually glad that he is now a big boy. He looks so different now. :) Think I’ll buy his new album. :) Check out his new “Boyfriend”. :P Ooppsss…… We don’t get to watch it yet HERE. ARGH!
MTV First - Justin Bieber – Boyfriend
Gift For HIM
I am a gift person, I like receiving gifts, and I like to gift too. Be it small or big, cheap or expensive, or doesn’t need money at all, I love gifts. When I give you something, a piece of chocolate or sweet, you should know at least you have a place in my heart. :) Sometimes, I will gift for no reason. I see something cute, reminds me of you, I’ll buy it and give it to you. To me, I don’t need a reason to buy someone a gift.
Andrew, is the one that makes me headache when it comes to gifts/presents.
If it’s a female friend, I can always buy jewellery, accessories, skincare, cosmetics, cute little soft toys…… You name it. If it’s a male friend, there is always neck tie, cuff links, shirts, t-shirts, socks, watches, wallets…… Again, you name it. However, Andrew is no female friend, and certainly NOT my other normal male friend! Confession, I ran out of gift ideas for his birthday.
I will buy him wallet when it is time to change, it doesn’t have to wait until his birthday.
I always buy him clothes. I see t-shirt that is cute, I’ll buy. So, clothes is no longer a surprise.
I bought him shoes, but recently he has just bought himself some new shoes. So, shoe is out.
I’ve bought him nothing, but given him a surprise with those cute cupcakes. Am not going to do that again in near future.
I have bought him a very tiny birthday card with LOVE! Hahahahahaha……
I can’t afford to buy him new computer (I’ll buy for myself first lah! Hahaha!).
I can’t afford to buy a PS3 for him now.
I can’t afford to buy him a car! (Anyway, he has already got one.)
I have bought him a watch before…… Hmm… Perhaps a watch again? But that watch is still good, and I can’t decide what watch to buy.
Oh! Perhaps a bag! Hmm……
A neck tie? Have not really bought him a good one.
A pen? Aiyoo…… He will tell me he only uses Kilometrico!
A handphone? NO WAY! Too expensive and he’s happy with his HTC Evo now.
A Ferrari F1 car model? Nah…… He’s very fussy and particular over the brand and all.
A toy helicopter? Sheesh…… He only wants the good one and it is not CHEAP ok!
Chocolates? Ya right! I’ll be the one eating them at the end.
Flowers? Am I out of my mind?! He’s not a flower person!
There were times I didn’t buy him any birthday present because I really didn’t know what to buy for him anymore!
ARGH! Who says buying gifts for partner/spouse is easier??? Who? Who?
SIGH……
Thistle, Port Dickson
I’ve written this last year, but only managed to find time to upload the photos now. Hahaha. :P
Last year, I was looking for a place for our third wedding anniversary getaway. My intention was merely a getaway for both of us, to be away from the bustling town and the nuisance from the house renovation.
Was tempted by Golden Palm Tree located in Sepang Gold Coast. It’s pretty pricey but was thinking to go for the experience at least once. Then remembered my colleague went to Thistle PD early last year and she rated highly of the place because it has a private beach. Checked out their promotions and was so happy to see they had the Spa Package at RM635 nett per room per night. Was so happy when I gotten the green light from Andrew. :D You can check out their various promotions HERE.
Reached Thistle around 1pm. There’s 4 desks in the lobby, 3 were opened. I got a little impatient after waiting for 10 minutes, then a staff came to me and asked if I wanted to do the check-in. She then told us they have upgraded our deluxe sea-view room to a honeymoon suite at no extra charges. Oh… Wow… I was shocked and I didn’t ask her why. Was thinking perhaps it’s just a suite that no one booked and they could just upgrade ours and rent out the vacated deluxe room then. Mr. Faizal then came to greet us and wished us happy anniversary. Oh yes, I left a remark when I booked the room online that we would be celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary and hope they could decorate the room a little bit to make our stay more memorable.
Went to the honeymoon suite, my jaw dropped open and I gasped. Gosh, it is so huge! I was so excited to see the bathtub in the bedroom! The dressing area is so spacious! The shower area is big! Geez…… Head over heels in love with the suite.
The door to the backyard was faulty, called the room service and someone came to fix it in less than 15 minutes. Good service.
We went for a stroll at the beach. It was a weekend but it wasn’t crowded, we get to enjoy some quiet time by the beach, having fun with the swings. The pool in Thistle is huge too. There is a jacuzzi beside the pool as well! Gosh, I just love this place.
Since it’s a spa package, we went for the 1-hour spa treatment in the evening. Totally relaxing!
The swimming pool is huge too! There is this small jacuzzi at the side. The adults pool’s depth is of minimum 1.6 metres if I remember correctly. A bit challenging for me since I’m not a good swimmer. Andrew challenged me to the deeper one, I tried and I nearly drowned! Kanasai!!!!! What kind of husband is this! So, people, don’t ever challenge yourselves with your life!
The only negative point is the variety of breakfast. The roti Jala is delicious, but they didn’t replenish it quick enough. I only managed to have 2 small pieces. Also, they did not clear the empty plates from our table too. We were stacking all the empty plates. Perhaps they were having some big groups of people for some company events, short of hands.
Our stay in Thistle was definitely a pleasant one. I wouldn’t mind going back again, but guess we wouldn’t be so lucky next time to have them upgraded our room. Hahahaha.
Jaw dropped open the moment we opened the door!
There is a common toilet in hall area!
The mini bar.
The room with the bathtub!!! Lovely!
The king-size bed!
The shower area! Very nice!
Wash and dress area, with the toilet.
The door leading to the huge deck outside.
At the swimming pool. The jacuzzi at the far end.
Fruits basket complimentary of the hotel.
Surprise from the hotel! Not very nice, plus the ants were covering most of the cake when we came back from the massage! We ate the little corner untouched by the “merciful little friends”.
Another surprise!
3rd surprise! Thought Mr. Faizal would replace the flowers in the vase, instead they sent me a bouquet of fresh lilies! How lovely!
A late night soak before bed! Heaven!
The yummy roti Jala!
Had another stroll on the beach the next day. No crowds, it was nice.
Don’t we all love swing regardless of what your age is? :)
My man was totally enjoying it until his sandals got washed away by the waves! I was laughing hysterically! Lucky managed to get them back! Hahahahaha!
The beautiful empty field and pathway connecting the hotel and the beach.
Loved the lilies so much!
Last one, been wanting to do this, PLANKING! LOL! :
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together
It started with a wedding forum, bride-to-be’s were searching for information for their weddings. They came out, met each other, shared ideas and stories…… At the end, only a handful went the extra mile……
Husbands were then involved, joined the gatherings, met each other, shared jokes and stories……
We, are of different age, professions, backgrounds, beliefs, and even nationality. However, we clicked. We have had our misunderstandings and disagreements, but we sorted them out carefully and beautifully.
Chance has brought us together. However, it is us, who chose to stay TOGETHER. The effort that we are willing to make and spend for each other, is what keeping us together.
It is a blessing, that we are willing to spend the effort for each other. Not many are willing to do that. All 6 of us, understand that we all have the responsibility to maintain the friendship, it is not ONE-WAY.
My friends, a toast to our friendship, and TOGETHERNESS. :)
BERSIH For What?
I’ve been wanting to write about this yesterday. However, knowing myself, I know I shouldn’t put anything in writing when I am upset, disturbed, confused and feeling unwell.
If you have no idea or not sure what BERSIH is all about, it is time for you to understand it better. You don’t support something blindly without understanding the meaning behind it. You can read the full description of Bersih on Wikipedia:
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Malay: Gabungan Pilihanraya Bersih dan Adil) or Bersih (meaning clean in Malay) is a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which seeks to reform the current electoral system in Malaysia to ensure free, clean and fair elections.
BERSIH 3.0, was not just about go there, show up then go home. It was about sending the message to everyone, that we want at least a fair election.
Why the clean and fair election, you asked.
The current ruling party has been governing the country for nearly 55 years, of course we can’t deny the good times and good things that the previous leaders had brought us. We are not some ungrateful people who do not appreciate what they have done for us. Indeed, as many others said, we have benefited from the existing government and system too. So, why suddenly do we want the change so much now?
Look at the recent years! A local artist, Auguste Kwan, wrote this on his Facebook:
50年前，大家說，馬來西亞真好，好過香港日本。 30年前，大家說，馬來西亞還不錯，比得上韓國台灣（不提香港和日本了）。 20年前，大家說，馬來西亞還可以，至少超越中國泰國（不能和台韓比了）。 10年前，大家說，馬來西亞再差，還不至於像越南印尼。 今日，越南印尼經濟成長率領先大馬，該醒一醒了。
Translated to:
50 years ago, everybody said, Malaysia is great, better than Hong Kong and Japan. 30 years ago, everybody said, Malaysia isn’t bad, comparing to Korea and Taiwan (didn’t mention about Hong Kong and Japan anymore). 20 years ago, everybody said, Malaysia is OK, at least better than China and Thailand (couldn’t even compare with Korea and Taiwan anymore). 10 years ago, everybody said, no matter how bad Malaysia is, still ahead of Vietnam and Indonesia. TODAY, economical growth in Vietnam and Indonesia is now ahead of Malaysia, it is time to wake up now.
We are a developing country, we have enjoyed the many good developments in the past 50 years. However, recently, things are starting to get very “dirty”. Even the election has become so dirty! The last time around, we didn’t even get to elect our own PM. That aside, there isn’t much developments and improvements for the past few years, except more and more controversies and dirty politics.
I am so frustrated with our public transportation after seeing other countries could do it so well. I am so frustrated with the price of the vehicles here after knowing other countries could buy our home brand cars at a lower price. I refuse to take public transport now because I am so pissed with it. Everyone is getting a car now, traffic jam is getting worse, all due to the lousy public transportation system. For the past few years, the price of everything is on the rise and yet our income remains stagnant. It is getting more and more difficult to even feed ourselves. The government gave us RM1000 more tax relieve, but they’re getting the same amount back from our daily lives. We are on a train backward, not forward. When we start calling for change, all the dirty tricks start rolling into play. Sigh……
With the internet is easily available now, thanks to the technology too, information is readily available to anyone who wants to know more. In the past, all we had was newspapers and local news on TV, the mainstream medias. Now, we have so many alternatives. We read, we be our own judge. No one can tell us who’s lying except our own selves. Whether we are right or wrong, no one can tell us anymore. I think, all of us are capable of judging what is right and good for ourselves. People are waking up……
Someone said by voting is not enough, we have to let the people around us aware of what is going on. I have tried, and I have failed too. There are still many among us who do not see what we see, who do not feel how we feel. Why? I do not know, I do not want to make any comment about them anymore, they get very defensive whenever I said they can’t SEE clearly. I respect their choices, after all, they are the ones who’s living their own choices. I can’t force them to see/do what I see/do. It’s all about free will.
Yesterday, this question suddenly rang in my head, what will happen if the ruling government falls? Chaos? Riots? Fights? 513 again? Andrew said, chaos maybe, but this will not be another 513 incident, as it will only involve the parties, not races. Chaos…… I hope after the chaos, if any, the good days will come.
Seriously and honestly, I love my country, I love Malaysia. I used to love my government too, but not anymore. I used to be contented with everything I was having or seeing, but not anymore. I used to be grateful of what the government did, but now I am only grateful that I live in a country with no natural disasters. I am no longer proud of my government. Why? I was brought up in a family believing the government has the best interest of people in its heart…… Since when I stopped believing it?! A country so beautiful without natural disasters, is being wasted.
It is a sad thing, to have to tell my friends and relatives, to go somewhere else where they can best use their talents and do not come back. It will be even worse, if I have to send my children to somewhere else and knowing that I can’t ask them to come back. Really, I am already feeling extremely sad whenever I think of that. One of the many reasons why I am not in a hurry to have a child, I know I can’t promise him/her a better future, YET.
After seeing so many photos and videos on Facebook and YouTube, I am feeling happy and sad, certain and confused at the same time.
Happy that it was indeed a peaceful rally, sad that there were minority who created chaos.
Happy that the authorities were less violent, sad that there were still some who showed the cruelty.
Certain that the change we want is realising soon, confused that if the opposition has some other agenda.
Certain that we made our stand very clear, confused that if the change would be good or bad.
If things turned out to be worse, there will be someone who would say “you have brought this upon yourselves”. How are we going to face and correct it then?
If things turned out to be better, will those who objected the change have a change of heart and mind?
The future is so uncertain. We can only hope for the best and do our best.
BERSIH for what, you asked me. BERSIH is our hope. Our hope for a better future for us and our children. Either they are going to blame us for not doing enough for them, or that we have done our best and made a mistake, or thank us.
It’s all your choice.
To those who went for the BERSIH 3.0 with good cause, my salute to you all.
Photo source from Curi-curi Wang Malaysia Facebook.
Upscale & Expensive
Those who don’t know me well, always have the impression that I am living an upscale and expensive life.
Those who know me well, have the impression that I am living an expensive life.
Those who are close to me, know that I am living a moderate life.
Those who really know it, understand the reasons why.
The truth is, I always go for the quality.
I have had enough of bad experiences to a point that I do not trust even the names/brands anymore. I trust my own instinct and experiences.
If I judge something as good quality and worth the price, I would go for it. Expensive? You will then have to define what is expensive. A sofa that costs RM1500, is expensive compared to a sofa that cost RM1000. A sofa that costs RM1000 and lasts 2 years, is expensive compared to a sofa that costs RM1500 and lasts 5 years. A dress of RM200 is expensive compared to a RM70 dress, but you can wear the RM200 dress for 3 years compared to the RM70 dress which you only wear for a year. To me, they’re equally expensive.
I have bought stuff that lasted years, and yes, they’re expensive in terms of the prices. I too have bought expensive stuff that didn’t last long. It is, after all, the quality that matters.
Andrew bought me a Braun Buffel purse as a birthday present years ago, it only lasted a year. Yes, for such a brand that is known for its leather quality, you would be shocked that why it only lasted a year. Beats me. The calfskin somehow became soft and out of shape a year later. Bought Andrew a Renoma wallet, he only used it for less than a year. Thread came off, card slots torn, out of shape…… Brands, aren’t all that good too.
Then, I bought myself a Jane Holli wallet, cost RM150. Relatively cheaper compared with Braun Buffel, but still expensive compared to a non-branded one. The Jane Holli calfskin wallet, lasted more than 2 years! And 2 years ago, I bought Andrew a cheapskate calfskin wallet (RM80), have not even heard of that brand, and he is still using it now. You see, real leather, no brands, and they last longer than those branded stuff. So, now you tell me, does brand equal to quality?
Even IKEA, has got the good and bad quality items. Lorenzo, is not all that good either. ZARA too, has some bloody expensive clothes but the quality may only worth half of the price. I am a regular customer of ZARA, maybe not loyal. Some of their dresses are really worth to buy, comfortable and practical. I love their jeans, the cheaper range which costs only RM139. Way, way, way cheaper than Levi’s and they’re so comfortable. Love ZARA’s shirts too, although some of them are such a pain to iron, still they’re comfortable. If I see the quality is worth the price to pay, I’ll grab it. Plus, I buy non-seasonal clothes, where it will never go out of trend/seasons. ZARA, to me, at least has consistency in their quality. Maybe not all of them are good, but most of them are.
When it comes to food, I don’t mind eating hawker food as long as it is nice. I don’t mind paying a little bit more to go for a nice restaurant too just for the ambiance. However, if the food sucks, even the nice ambiance would not make me go back.
Am I living an upscale and expensive life? Yes and no. :)
At the end, it is all very subjective. You may well tell me that you love changing your wardrobe and it is only fair you buy cheaper clothes, where you won’t feel so heavy-hearted when you want to throw them away. You may also tell me that who would wear a dress for 3 years as it would well be outdated and old. :P Oh, I have clothes that I’ve worn for even more than 4 years, and they’re still looking good. :D
So, the possibility of seeing me in some hawker food court with a pair of ZARA jeans and a Coach bag, is very high. The possibility of seeing me in my Converse and shorts and baby-Tee in a shopping mall, is also very high. :P
Picture here, with my RM199 ZARA wedges (a rare splurge) with RM79 Uniqlo jeans. Expensive? :)
可爱女人 Vs. 好男人
在面子书上看见朋友分享某某人的留言：
一个温顺女人变得泼辣，一定是男人不争气，她不得不出头。一个纯洁、清高女人变得恶俗，一定是男人档次不够高。相反，一个平庸女人，相貌变得可爱，眼睛变得灵光，举手投足变得有风度，一定有一个好男人。
男人，你要知道，女人的美有你一半的功劳，她的丑也有你一半的过错。
说的好啊。
我不是温顺的女人，但我也不泼辣。Andrew有自己的方法去解决自己的问题，我甚少干涉。我不会为他出头，因为没必要。问题若还没解决，我最多也只会对他唠叨几句，决不会帮他解决。
我不敢说我自己清高、纯洁，可我也不恶俗。Andrew是个肚量很宽、耐性极高的人。和他在一起久了，渐渐的也染了一些他的肚量。
穿衣服，Andrew说漂亮，就会不自觉的觉得漂亮起来。:) Andrew说不美，当下就会觉得自己毫无魅力。你或许会说穿衣服还得看自己的男人喜不喜欢，还有什么乐趣。如果连自己的男人都觉得丑，你还会穿出门吗？老公，的确是我自信的来源。
有时，看不透某些事，老是钻牛角尖。往往是他的一句话让自己清醒过来。待人宽容些，比以往更有风度。处事、观点一改变，人也跟着变得快乐了。快乐只要一写在脸上，人缘就越来越好。看来，老公也真的是有功劳。
说到底，他是个好男人。选对了，也嫁对了。不富有，没关系。只要他继续作他的好男人，我继续作我的可爱女人。:)
啊，原来，我是一只遇见了好男人才会变天鹅的丑小鸭。:)
男人们，别老是埋怨自己的女人不是淑女。是时候反省，反省了。
女人们，你遇见了让你变淑女的好男人了吗？
Cooking Is Easy
I have a face that makes people think that I, do not and cannot cook.
People have been asking me, “CAN you cook?”
Or, “DO you cook?”
The first question, is always a tricky one. Look, I didn’t have the chance to cook. So, do you think if I could cook?
I came from a typical Chinese family, the man of the house would always be the one who brings in the bacon and the woman of the house would always be the one who’s taking great care of the family. My mom, has never, ever asked us to cook. She would ask us to help her in the kitchen, but never did she ask us to cook. If we want to learn, by all means, stand there and watch. She is a great mom, she thinks that it is her duty to cook for the children and she doesn’t want us to get hurt while messing around in the kitchen. There is nothing wrong with her method, as a mother. You can’t blame her for over-protecting, you should blame the children for not taking much of the initiative to learn. So, you see, the need for me to cook, never arise at home.
Went to college, I started cooking, with my house-mates. What did we cook? Simple home-cooked dishes that could make us feel less home-sick. Well, can I cook? You asked. Of course I can cook. However, that was for the first 2 years. After that, I moved to another place and I never get the chance to cook again.
Renting is no fun, especially if you’re staying with a bunch of people who do not know how to take care of the house. I used to buy cooking utensils, before I had the chance to use them, my house-mates used them without even asking me. I have no problem with sharing, but the cooking utensils always ended up either left in the sink dirty or burnt! I stopped replacing the utensils and the idea of to cook again (in a rented place) vanished.
After I got married, the questions come again. Why is it that people think that you have to cook after you’re married?! For crying out loud, I’m married with the title of Mrs., not “Chef”!
When I was renovating my kitchen, a lot of people asked me, “why are you spending so much money on your kitchen since you don’t cook?” -__- I don’t cook now, does that mean I don’t cook forever? I can’t cook now, does that mean I can’t cook forever? So, I don’t cook, and I don’t need a kitchen?
For everyone of you who have ever doubted my ability to cook, I’m sorry to disappoint you, that I too, CAN COOK! And, I DO COOK!
You don’t know me, you don’t know what I’ve been through, what I’ve done before, don’t ever judge me.
Of course, I can’t say that I cook the best food, and I am still learning. The food I cook now, are mostly mama’s recipes. Guess what, I’ve never really learned from my mom. All these years, I learned by watching her preparing the food, eating what she cooked and I asked questions. Surprise? And you always say that I have a bad memory?
This is a story of don’t underestimate someone whom you think he/she is incapable of doing something. They are not doing it, doesn’t mean that they can’t.
Don’t worry, whatever I cook is edible. And I believe, I can cook like my mom too, soon. :)
Cooked myself some porridge when I was sick. It was easy.
Fried rice by Andrew! See, he can cook too! :D
Our home-cooked bak kut teh. :)
Narcissism
Few days ago, I uploaded a photo montage of myself out of boredom. Nothing better to do, I took some photos of myself, edited them and uploaded to Facebook. One of my friends commented, half jokingly, “ban narcissism”.
I admit, I love taking photos of myself. In fact, everyday if I remember, I’ll try to take at least one photo of myself. It’s fun, to see your own face changes every now and then. I’ve been doing this for the past one year or so.
Am I a narcissist? I don’t think I am. I love myself but not to the extent of I am incapable of loving others. You may want to go Wikipedia and read all about narcissism.
I always make sure I dress appropriately whenever I go out. I consider myself a casual person, I dress in clothes that I feel comfortable in. I don’t really like to wear dress for shopping or going out with friends. Only occasionally when the mood strikes and I will then wear a dress which is comfortable for me to move about. I dress well out of respect for myself and the people I am going out with, not because I am feeling vain.
I always feel good about myself. I know I am not the prettiest girl, but I am at least good looking. So, I definitely don’t think I am narcissist. I am vain, but I am not into extreme narcissism.
There is a fine line between being vain and narcissist. I am not crossing that line and I certainly don’t see myself crossing it in any near future that I can foresee.
I will ask Andrew if I look good in a dress, but I do not look in the mirror and say “darn, I look pretty!”
I will look in the mirror to check my appearances, but I do not look at the photo and say “holy cow, I am pretty!”
I will walk with confidence and thinking I look good, but I do not ask people if I look pretty.
I will want to look good in what I wear, but I do not think that I am perfect and pretty.
So, please, stop calling me narcissism if you see me posting photos of myself!
Whether you are joking or serious.
You can call me vain, but NOT narcissism!
Everyone of us has that little bit of narcissism lingering within, don’t ever tell me that you do not look in the mirror and secretly say “I’m looking good”.
我爱美，但我不是自恋狂！
女人天生都爱美，哪个女人不爱美啊？！
爱美的也不只是女人，男人也一样！
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
P.S.: Some are arguing that the we are entering a world of narcissism. The influence from the celebrities, cultures and the advertisements that constantly promote beauty and good looks. Guess what, blame ourselves. We are the ones who educate our next generations. Instead of pointing fingers and blaming everyone else for promoting narcissism and banning narcissism, please take a look at your own educating method. If you want to know more, you can read it here.
Everything Is About The K-Pop Now
When I was in college, Korean dramas were suddenly becoming the most popular thing. Everyone was watching Korean dramas, not many was watching the Japanese dramas which were once the most popular too. The Hallyu wave they called it. I on the other hand, find that Korean dramas were too draggy. They could well be on the same crying scene for half an hour for goodness’ sake! I don’t have that patience.
The Korea I’m speaking here, is South Korea.
Few years ago, Korean’s music industry was getting more and more attention internationally. The Hallyu wave took a turn, the focus was on its music industry. It started with Rain and Dong Bang Shin Ki (东方神起, DBSK). I was admiring Rain’s dance moves and body, and loving the songs by DBSK. Andrew’s cousin is a hopeless fan of DBSK, she even went to their concert here in Malaysia before, calling one of them her “husband”. Hahaha. I wasn’t that crazy. I was merely admiring their voices and music.
Then, the Hallyu wave continues. Came the Super Junior, Big Bang, 2PM, 2AM, Wonder Girls, to the recent Girls’ Generation. Now, all eyes are on Korea’s music industry. They seem to sing the best songs, dance the best dances, have the best looks, produce the most brilliant music videos…… Especially their dance moves, other than Michael Jackson and his dance team, Korean groups are the second I’ve seen such unity in their dance moves. What makes them creep to the top in such a short period of time?
If you have seen or heard Super Junior singing live, which you can easily find them on YouTube, you’ll be amazed. They can dance, they have the looks, they have the body and the most amazing part is, they can SING very well! Trust me, all of them, can sing very well even when they’re dancing. You can’t deny just how talented they are. Andrew’s cousin is also crazy about SuJu, she has been to a few of their concerts here! Some even with VIP tickets! Envious! I love SuJu too. T__T
Have you also heard Big Bang? Each of them has very unique voice! Now I love to listen to them. Listen to their Love Song, they sing with so much passion. Their style though, is getting more and more daring in their latest music video, Fantastic Baby. It is really, errmm… scary. :P However, you can’t deny that the song is great.
A year ago, Andrew and I heard this song on radio, and we fell in love with it. Both of us were amazed that how easy it is for the tune to register in your brain and make you sing along! Honestly, not many songs have that “power” to make you sing along the first time you heard it.
You can see that I didn’t mention about the girls groups. That’s because, I only admire them dancing, but not their singing and looks. They have every rights to look pretty, but to me, they’re too plastic. Yes, at least they have the guts to do it and admit it, I admire that too. However, to me, those are not “real” anymore. And that makes them look all the same. :P Everyone somehow has the same nose and mouth. Don’t ask me to identify who is who in Girls’ Generation, I have no idea at all. :P
Then, there is this Trouble Maker. It’s not a group, it’s a song, by HyunA (from 4minutes) and Hyunseong (from Beast). This song too is very catchy. And the music video is so sexy. :P
Why is K-pop so successful? People are crazy over it even when they do not understand Korean.
You certainly don’t see Taiwan or Hong Kong’s music industry got so much of attention, not even in the good old days. Have you seen any new and young successful singer from Hong Kong lately? After the glorious 4 (Jacky Cheung, Leon Lai, Aaron Kwok and Andy Lau), is there any who is as successful as them? Eason Chan? I don’t think so.
Japan has had its glorious days too, but their music industry too is dwindling. I’ve even lost sights of their news except the tsunami and nuclear power plant. Where are their singers now? Who are the popular ones now? I have not had a clue. So sad……
Taiwan is constantly producing good singers, but their styles are way too different from K-pop. You don’t get the same kind of excitement you get from K-pop in Taiwan’s music. They can sing, but not all of them can both sing and dance well like the Koreans. Their music videos are beautiful, but not as vivid and interesting as the Koreans.
Do those Korean music producers and labels know better than the rest in how to please the public? Is it because the Korean has a strong spirit in “doing the best in everything” (look at the Korean cars)? Or simply for the reason they have more talents than others? They dare to be different? Their courage to try?
How long is this Hallyu going to last? I believe it is going to stay in the limelight for a little longer. They’re churning out more and more talented people, sometimes you wonder where do they come from and do they ever get shortage in their talent pool? What I’ve mentioned here are only a few well-known groups, there are still so many of them who are really good like 2NE1, Beast, 2AM, FT Island, SHINee, T-Ara……
You just can’t deny that their music/songs/tunes/dances are freaking good. Not forgetting some of them can act too.
Here’s another one of my favorites. :) And Choi Si-Won, is my LOVE. Wuahahahahaha. :P
Battleship 2012
Been wanting to watch Battleship the moment Andrew and I saw the trailer, it was right after we watched the movie John Carter. Surprise, surprise, Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) is the lead actor again in Battleship. It’s a weird thing. You usually don’t see these actors, but once you saw them on the big screen, then they will keep appearing throughout the year. All of a sudden every director wanted them in their movies? Or the stardom struck them? Anyway, I’m happy to see Taylor Kitsch, he’s charming. :)
Lookie, lookie, it’s another movie by Peter Berg! If you were (or still are) a fan of Chicago Hope, you will definitely know who Peter Berg is. I still remember I was once smitten by his looks. Hahahaha. Oh boy, that was like 15 years ago!!! And now he is an old man. Sigh…… I’m not that young neither. :( Peter Berg is indeed talented. Actor, producer, director and writer, I must say he did well. Hancock was a movie that took me by surprise that Peter Berg could do such a brilliant movie.
When I saw the trailer with the music and all that, I suspected that it was the same person who did the music for Transformers, and I was right. :D You just can’t miss Steve Jablonsky’s style. In fact, there is so much similarity in the music between Battleship and Transformers. There were times I felt like I was watching another version of Transformers.
The movie, was great! Andrew and I totally enjoyed it! Love the storyline, although it seemed a little too non-logical at some point, it is still no doubt a good story. What I don’t understand is, if the Secretary of Defense could contact the Vice Admiral who was also in Oahu (where all communications were believed to have been severed by the aliens), why couldn’t Samantha contact the father directly to destroy the satellite disks? Instead, she contacted the boyfriend who was also at wits end on the sea??? Also, the aliens only destroyed the roads that lead to the array, why couldn’t the military send some aircraft to investigate? I found it ridiculous that NO ONE sent any ship near the protective shield by the aliens. Every navy just waited by the shore to see if the 3 missing destroyers came back miraculously? Now you see, I really enjoyed the movie, it’s just that I don’t understand these parts where they looked too forceful. You know that “someone” did them on purpose just to make the movie more interesting. I wonder what would happen if Alex Hopper wasn’t as smart as in the movie. Hahahahaha…… Perhaps then we would see a story of aliens taking over the earth. :P
So, it was a great movie if you don’t take things seriously. Just like when you watched Transformers. If you like Transformers, you’re gonna like Battleship too. ;)
老港正传 Mr. Cinema
上个星期三假日，和老公在家一起煮饭、洗衣、叹世界。。。原来两个人简简单单在家是那么幸福快乐的。嘻！
电视一直都是开着的，我们俩就这样坐着，播什么就看什么。两个人静悄悄的，把戏看完了才说，“很简单，却非常有意思的一部戏”。看完戏了，却根本不知道戏名是什么！哈哈哈！
老港正传，原来是2007年的香港电影。主演的有郑中基、黄秋生、毛舜筠、莫文蔚和鲍起静。全都是大家熟悉的脸孔。
电影就叙述着老港（黄秋生）一家三口在香港的生活。当中的矛盾、现实、梦想和挣扎，都是那么的真实。感觉自己不是在看着电影，而是在看着自己和别人的人生。
我们这一辈的父母，何尝不是为了这个家而牺牲了自己的梦想？
我们这一辈的梦想，何尝不是那么的简单却又难以实现？
我们这一辈的社会，何尝不是一样的残酷，甚至更甚？
我们这一辈的矛盾，何尝不是上一代的矛盾？
我们这一辈的挣扎，何尝不是痛苦与心酸？
很有意义的一部戏。赚了我不少的热泪。。。
看看郑中基和黄秋生出色的演技吧。
YouTube竟然有完整的？想看的话，就看看吧。– 老港正传
Ashley
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