A Year Wiser
My surprises started since 12am, 1 April 2013.
Cheeky Andrew came into the bedroom, with his right hand clenched.
Andrew: Come, give me your hand. I have something for you.
Me: *Wide eye* HUH?! Eeeeeee!!! What’s in your hand???!!! Don’t want! Must be “kar juak” (cockroach in hokkien)!!! You just want to trick me!!! Don’t want!!!
Andrew: Aiyoooo…… Come lah!!!
Me: Don’t want!!! Don’t know what’s inside!!!
Andrew: NAH!!!! *He opened his hand and took out the pendant*
Me: Ohhhhh…… Hehe…… Thank you ah.
Andrew: What lah you…… “kar juak” pulak……
Not that I don’t trust him, he is just too cheeky at times and I gotta learn to “protect” myself from all his tricks. :P
It’s another charm pendant from Thomas Sabo. He wanted to buy the same one that I lost, which he gave me during one of the Valentine’s Day years ago, but it is no longer in the production. :( Really clumsy me, how could I have lost the first ever charm from him! The most precious one…… *Cries*
Few weeks ago, I’ve bought a beauty box for myself. Did not expect to receive it right on this day though. Was so excited and happy to receive it yesterday! It smells so pleasant the moment I open the box! Ahh…… What a pleasant pick-me-up. First time I bought myself a birthday gift. Hahaha. Never thought that it would feel so nice to receive a gift from myself! Guess I should do this every year, buy something as a gift and have it delivered to myself. :D
Beauty box from TheLilacBox.
During lunch time, I got another surprise. When a close friend asked me for my office address last week I already knew she was up to something. What I did not expect was the gift! Never would I have thought that they would send me a bouquet of flowers! Flowers from my girl-friends! This is another first! Aww…… I’m so touched. So sweet of them to surprise me with such a lovely gift. Now, who said you could only be surprised with flowers from your partner/spouse? ;) Girl-friends know how to sweep you off your feet, too!
I actually thought the flowers were from Andrew, ’cause there wasn’t any card attached. Hahaha. You girls really fooled me lor, on April Fools’ Day! Really love the fa-wer!!! I couldn’t help but smile whenever I see this photo, even right now when I’m writing this.
Girl-friends rock! XOXO
Have you changed?
There is no such things as friends forever.
People can change. We, change.
Our lifestyles change as our priorities change.
Our priorities change as our experiences change.
Our life experiences change as our journeys change.
Our journeys change as our perspectives change.
Our perspectives change as we age.
We are constantly changing. Growing, perhaps.
We can’t expect someone to stay the same forever. For better or worse, we change.
We can’t blame the other person for changing, we ourselves change too.
So, why does it upset you so much when you found out that your friend has changed?
Perhaps, he or she is saying the same about you.
One of the friends said this to me recently, “we are now like having nothing to talk about…… It’s sad.”
I did not say anything, I left it at that.
I don’t blame her for feeling that way. Our lifestyles are different now, our circle of friends is also different, even our outlook on life is different.
We used to be very close, but that was a long time ago. We used to think that we would be best friends forever, but all that has changed now.
I have changed. For her, I may have changed for the worse.
What do we talk about now? Nothing much. Just hi, how are you, and followed by the awkward silence.
No doubt, it is sad. However, I can’t do anything.
I stop trying hard to get someone to jump onto the same bandwagon I am riding. What’s the point if the other person doesn’t appreciate the same view like I do? Plus, we are not heading to the same destination.
When you feel your friend is not as close to you as before, don’t be mad or sad. Be grateful that he or she was part of your life.
We all change. Have you?
Colleagues
Some of you may wonder, why I never blog about my co-workers/colleagues/peers (whatever you call them).
I have this principle, I don’t bring my working life into my personal life and vice versa.
My colleagues do not know my friends, and my friends have never met my colleagues. The people I know from both worlds, never “collide”. :) Only Andrew met my colleagues.
Why do I have such a weird principle? Well, it is because I am a different person in two different world. If you ask my colleagues and friends what they think of me, you’ll most likely get 2 different answers. Both of them can be right about me. We all behave and react differently under different circumstances. Plus, there are things that you are not supposed to share with your colleagues and there are things at work that you’re not supposed to share with your friends.
I tend to be a more carefree person when I’m with my friends. I get to be myself, talk nonsense and say things that I know I can never say with my colleagues. My friends won’t judge me.
When it comes to my colleagues, I am a little more reserved. I have to work with them, so there are things that I know I should not do or say. There would be times where I accidentally let my carefree self out, they would be so surprised and convinced that I was NOT being myself on that particular day. For they do not know, that IS ME.
I do have colleagues that I am close with and they’re friends too. However, they still do not get to see the other side of me. We see each other at work, occasionally we have dinner together, and that is it. I treat them as my friends, but I hardly pour myself out on them. When I want to do that, I go to my friends who are not my colleagues. I do not bring my personal life to work and I do not want to develop a personal life in the workplace. This is where I work and it requires me to be professional if not all the time, most of the times. I can’t allow a personal relationship that will affect my decision.
I can’t avoid the friendship in workplace. After all, I see my colleagues more than I see my friends. It is only natural that colleagues develop become friends. The friendship between my colleagues and I are unique. We are close, but not close enough.
I do not want to introduce my colleagues to my friends too, I would like to keep that “line” clear.
Fortunately, I am good in balancing both worlds. Tiring? Sometimes. Good that I have Andrew to go to whenever I need a break from all of them. :) I am my true evil self when I’m with Andrew, every little dark side of me is unleashed when I’m with him. No one would wish to see that. Hahahahahahaha……
My colleagues, are a secret to my friends. They may know the stories in my workplace, but they do not know who my colleagues are.
My friends, are a secret to my colleagues. They have no idea what kind of friends I have.
Do you have another alter ego?
自私
人，都是自私的。
事不关己时就什么都没问题，小事一桩。一旦关连到自己，就呼呼喝喝的，大肆喧闹。
难为别人，就为了自己方便。
怪罪他人，好让自己舒服些。
物，是死的。
人，是活的。
这样行不通，就不能自己想办法吗？！为何要全世界都配合你好方便你办事？！
别人做不到，就不能自己安排吗？！为何要怪罪别人好让自己有台阶下？！
怪了别人，又怎样？？？还不是要自己想办法吗？？？！！！
有那样的闲工夫去管别人，为何就不能管好自己？
有嘴巴说别人，就没嘴巴说自己！
别人不能做，你自己就能做！！！
别人不能说，你自己就能说！！！
全都是别人的错，你自己就没错？？？！！！
想想吧！你没错的话别人干嘛会对你生气！
你若是真那么好，根本就不需要去责怪别人。
你若真是那么好，早就想办法解决事情了。
你没那么好！少装好人了！
自私鬼。
We Found Friendship In The Least Expected Place
It was more than 4 years ago, I was looking for a training provider for our company’s team-building event.
Found this small organisation on the newspaper and we got them to do our team-building. I got in touch with the contact person, D. I was a little surprised when I saw her the first time, young and pretty. :)
I can’t remember exactly what happened later, we became friends!
We do not see each other very often, perhaps less than 5 times in a year. However, whenever we meet, we will talk and talk like there’s no tomorrow. Every time we meet, we are like rushing to catch up with each other’s life. We will sit in the restaurant or cafe, and talk for hours. All we want to do is, to pour our hearts out.
This friendship took me by surprise, but I am grateful. I sometimes wonder what makes both of us “click”.
It is true when people say never lose hope, you will not know what you may find along the way. Keep the heart open, and you will find it.
From a vendor, to a friend. I would not be having this friend if I refused to let anyone walk into my life.
Sadly, she is leaving the country, I lose another friend that I can talk to. Happy that she will be having her new life in a better country. Wish her all the best in the world. Hope to see her again soon. :)
I’m gonna miss you terribly.
It’s Mango Again
Went out with my girl friends yesterday. Had a great catch-up session with everyone. We were like 4 chatterboxes, happy chatting and laughing away. These are the friends that we need, take away your sorrows and problems, make you feel great again.
We went shopping, I was looking for this particular knit dress from Mango (they’ve changed it to Mango instead of MNG), didn’t have my size in Pavilion, finally found it in Mid Valley. Then I saw another two-toned knit dress. It didn’t appeal to me at first, but I thought no harm trying. Surprisingly it looks nice! Gotta grab it.
RM99 each, hope they live up to my expectation.
It’s pretty difficult to find a good dress in Mango now. I often find that they are overpriced. Even for a good quality piece, I’d be very reluctant to pay for the price. Zara’s dresses on the other hands, have more consistency in the quality and price.
Furthermore, I have colleagues who have been shopping in Mango too, I don’t want to end up one day looking like their twins! :P
What Did You Say?
Have you ever come across with someone telling you that they detest something but then later you found out that they’re doing the exact same thing that they said they detest?
Or, your friend told you that she wouldn’t do a particular thing but she is doing it later?
Or, someone told you that she is not good with something but later you realised she is doing what she told you she’s not good with and is happy doing it again and again?
Or, she obviously doesn’t like what you’re doing but secretly she is doing what you’re doing?
Or, she went on telling other friends that she isn’t like you, but again, she wants to be like you?
You must be asking, isn’t it tiring to have to remember what I have said? Well, we are human, it is all right to forget what we said sometimes.
My dear, yes, it is all right to forget sometimes, but don’t FORGET, those people you said those things to, they REMEMBER. You did it once, they may think you’re probably forgetful. You did it again, they would start to think “not again?” You did it the third time, they would start questioning your credibility. You continue with it, they now know what you said hold no value at all. Then, they stop paying attention to what you say. Then, they stop communicating with you.
Oh, and you say, “who cares”. Right, who cares huh. There will come a day no one cares a single word you say.
I’m not a saint, I too am forgetful. Which is why, I never say never. When I say never, I make sure I uphold my “never” to the day I die.
When I say I’ll never make my blog a movie review blog, take my word, it’s not going to happen.
When I say I hate copycats, I bloody make sure I don’t become one.
When I say I don’t like to do what you do, I will never do what you do.
When I say I dislike you, you can be bloody sure that I am not going to like you, or wanting to be like you, for ever.
For things that I never say, never assume it for me.
Now, you mark my words.
Hidden Truths – by Ito
Here’s a poem, written by a friend that I’ve never met. We are a world apart, yet he’s an old friend whom I “met” on the world wide web. Amazing, isn’t it? How the internet can get you a friend of a lifetime. :)
Hidden Truths
why do people hide
why do they choose not to tell
why can’t they just say it
is it so hard
to tell someone
the truth,
blame cultures,
it’s part of the culture to
save face
that’s no excuse
why do people hide truths
why do they choose not to tell
why can’t they just say it
i can’t believe it’s that hard
just say it
say the truth
i will find it more honorable
to say
here is the truth,
rather than to save face.
why do people hide
why do they choose not to tell
why can’t they just say it
I will never know
but when you encounter me
do me a favor
don’t save face
by,
- ito
P.S.: Ros (if you’re reading this), you know that I always tell you the truth. :)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship
Photo by Melissa, taken in Bangkok, May 2012.
Who would have thought that the 6 of us would stick together for so long……
All of us are of different age and background. All of us are so different, and yet we are together. I don’t have friends who’s my age that could make such great effort in maintaining a friendship. Speaking of maturity huh?
Thanks to Melissa for always being the understanding one.
Thanks to Wan Yi for always being the compromising one.
It is the little mutual understanding that 3 of us have, that “wanting to make effort in this” factor, that actually pull us together.
Pray that what binds us will not be broken, for as long as we live.
*Muaks* Love you all.
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
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. :)
My Rant On Kubiq, LAST!
Finally, the handles of the wardrobe were fixed last night. Carpenter came at 10pm. Room is dusty again even after Andrew cleaned and vacuum-ed. Sigh.
Before carpenter started, he asked Andrew for the desired height of the handles and Andrew asked me what is my preferred height. I told Andrew, “huh? Why bother? Anything lah, it is already ugly enough, the height of the handles wouldn’t make it better.” That, shows how disappointed I am. When the carpenter was fixing the handles, I didn’t even bother to go and check. I only went in the room to see if it was messy and to check on Andrew, not the carpenter.
They’re not the handles that I wanted, so I can’t be bothered if they’re of perfect height on the doors. As long as they’re fixed, so that I can open the doors. The whole thing pissed me off so much that I start to hate my wardrobe. 4 f***ing months to get everything done! Handles alone took 2 month and a half!
The more I look at it, the more I feel the color is so old-fashioned. The corner ceiling-high wardrobe just looks, odd in the bedroom. Why on earth did I choose that??????? Because of a friend and convenience? F*** knows! ARGH!
I learned a lot during this whole renovation process. Not to trust a friend for renovation works, not to take things for granted, not to go with common sense…… I told Andrew, in the future, do NOT ever tell me how white color is going to get dirty, I WANT WHITE, PERIOD!
Another advice from me, if you like a certain color theme for your house, do not ever let other people to convince you otherwise! I wanted white kitchen cabinet and white wardrobe, but everyone (including Andrew) told me white is not going to last long as it gets dirty easily and difficult to maintain. I thought they were wiser than me, so I went with other colors than white. Now? I feel sorry for myself for listening to others but not myself!
5 years down the road, dirty or not, it’s up to me to either change it or live with it. Hell with it! Who bothers if white is difficult to maintain if you’re the one’s living with it and seeing it everyday?????? And best of all, you’re the one paying for it!
To be honest, dark color isn’t any better neither. Have a long scratch on the black counter-top in the kitchen. Yep, first week after the kitchen is done. Mind you, a scratch appears to be very obvious on dark surfaces. Now I use the ugliest table cloth that I could find in the house to cover that scratch. So you tell me, how nice is it going to be with dark colors?
Well, I’m not going to take good care of both my kitchen and wardrobe. I’m just going to USE and ABUSE them like some cheapskate stuff. Just see how long they can last under the wrath of ASHLEY! Wuahahahahahahahahaha! *Evil laughs*
So, so, so disappointed with a friend. The way that friend handled this issue, is totally disappointing. Friend thinks that he/she has done everything to help, sort of like telling me I’m asking too much and I shouldn’t be bothering him/her anymore. Sigh…… Someone will never understand. Colleague asked me, “still friend?” I don’t know…… I seriously don’t know. He/she doesn’t seem to want to stay friends anymore, or else will at least call me to ask how’s thing going. No, no calls. Every time I would be the one who texted first.
Wasted my money, lost a friend, and lost my trust.
忍。朋友。
朋友，惹你生气，
你忍。
朋友，说错话，
也忍。
朋友，误会你，
还是忍。
朋友，对你说谎，
坚持忍。
朋友，踩低你来抬高自己，
苦忍。
朋友，死爱面子惘顾友情，
死忍。
朋友，为了利益对你不义，
再忍。
朋友，你落难时不闻不问，
强忍。
朋友，口说尽力实非如此，
哑忍。
朋友，要你做吃了亏的哑子！
怎能忍？
朋友，说你开口就是不义，
应该忍！
我，开口
只因我已
忍无可忍！
你不义在先
别怪我不仁在后！
说我之前
先问问你自己！
~ 忍了很久的我！
Photo courtesy of Angry Birds Facebook.
Friends
Hello.
Who?
It’s me.
You who?
Your friend.
Friend who?
Never mind.
Hey.
Hi.
See you.
Bye.
A true friend
Calls your name
Says nothing
But knows everything
Rarely calls you
But often sees you
Never asks you
But cares about you
A true friend
Walks after you
Looks after you
Runs after you
When you turn around
A true friend
Will be there
For you
Wish or Not
How do you view wishing your friend on his/her birthday? Is it a must? Is it unforgivable if you forgot his/her birthday? Is it a sin for not wishing him/her?
I have a very small database for friends’ birthdays. No matter how long you’ve been friends with me, there is still a high chance that I don’t remember your birth date. My brain is not programmed for dates I guess. There was once I even forgot the most important man-in-my-life’s birthday! My siblings will usually buzz me to remind me of another sister’s birthday. See, I don’t even remember my sisters’ birthday, except my younger sister as the birth date is a special one to me.
Hence, when it comes to friends’ birthdays, I feel pressured.
If I couldn’t remember and asked another friend about the exact date, that another friend would often reply, “HUH?! What?! You FORGOT her birthday??!! How can you forget her birthday after so long together?” Ya right, as if my brain is stone and the date is carved on it. Hello, even the stone also will get weathering ok.
If I did not log in to Facebook over the weekends and so happened it was someone’s birthday and I missed it, it looks so bad on me for not wishing that friend! I had people came asking me, “how come you did not wish her? Did you know it was her birthday? Didn’t you check your Facebook?” Gosh, give me a break. Facebook is not a calendar! And I do not check Facebook every single day.
I’m not sure how the other person feels when I forgot to wish them on their birthdays. More often than not, they would tell me it’s okay when I apologised and wish them a happy belated birthday. Whether it is truly okay for them, I have no way to tell. If they go behind my back and tell the whole world that I forgot their birthdays, I wouldn’t know. I do not bother either if they want to do so.
Is it really so important to wish someone on their birthdays? Will he/she be less happy or blessed without my wishes?
You may say I should at least remember some close friends’ birthdays. Well, I don’t. Except for a few special ones like born on the 1st of January or Labor’s Day or National Day or Christmas. Even when I know it is the Christmas, I may well forget to wish him/her. Bummer.
To me, I do not mind if someone says happy birthday to me or not. Yes, thank you if you do, but if you don’t, I won’t go all the way to remember who you are and mark you as a bad friend for life. Gosh, being friends isn’t just about wishing you on your birthdays.
I know, I can’t force you to think exactly the same like me. And you have all the rights under the sun to blame me for not wishing you happy birthday. Just don’t force me to remember your birthday either, even if you are a close friend of mine, please allow me the room to be forgetful at times. I’ll apologise for being late and it doesn’t mean I do not wish you good when I do not wish you happy birthday. I seriously wish all the good things to happen to you, not just on your birthday, but every single day.
A very Happy (Birth)day to all of you!
Photo by Ashley @ ashwoo.com
So, what do you do if you forgot a friend’s birthday?
Do Me A Favor Please
What they say when a friend calls for help? We help. :)
My friend, Melissa is trying her luck in this Mother-Child Look-Alike Photo Contest, by Philea Resort Melaka. She needs all the help that she can find and gather. :) So, let us all be her heroes of the day and help her. I strongly believe that all of my readers are kind-hearted and willing to help people in need.
First and foremost, you MUST have a Facebook account. If you are not a FB user, thanks for the thought and it is good enough. :)
Log in to your Facebook account, go to Philea Resort & Spa Melaka, and “LIKE” the page.
Then, go to Melissa’s photo HERE, click “LIKE” at the bottom of her photo.
It’s as simple as that. After the contest ends on 30 April 2011, go ahead and “Unlike” the page.
I know, you don’t get paid for helping and you probably do not know my friend. It’s ok, it’s the thought that counts.
Thank you peeps. Love you heaps. :)
You can’t please everyone (via Analyfe)
Was reading the blogs that I subscribed to, Analyfe is one of the many inspiring bloggers that I admire. You could basically relate to almost everything that she shares. It is so down to earth and close to the heart.
While I was still having that piece of dark cloud following me, I came across this blog post of Analyfe. All of a sudden, I was hit by a ray of light and the dark cloud disappeared.
I may not be a perfect person (no one is) and perfect friend, but I do my best to do what is required of me. Of course I too have let my friends down sometimes, but at least I know I have done my best. If I am really such a bad friend, I am pretty sure my friends are smart enough to ditch me and move on.
I couldn’t believe I allowed a “friend” to just walk all over me, left the unpleasant footprints and stabbed me hard on the heart, again.
So, from now on, I shall focus on the happy relationships I have and forget those bad ones. Too bad that it didn’t work out, 17 years of friendship. Since it is so difficult for everyone, it isn’t a bad thing to let go now.
Phew, I now feel so relieved. Oh, not forgetting Melissa and Wan Yi too, who are always there to give me the encouragement and support. They are the beautiful relationships that I must cherish and focus on.
via Analyfe
A mini gathering @Fong Lye Taiwan Restaurant (via This is Me; Melissa’s Blog)
I seriously believe that our almighty TIME is flying on a rocket! Hahaha. It has been a year since our Taiwan trip! Good grief!
It was a coincidence that we planned to meet up on this day, 22 January. One year ago, this particular day, we were in Leo Foo Village (theme park in Xinzhu, Taiwan) having fun. Yes, Melissa, you’re right. :) We miss our Taiwan trip so much and have been wanting to relive the moments. Since 3 of us were already in the mall, Alex was on his way too, both Wan Yi and I called our lovely husbands to come join us for dinner too.
Here we are, sitting in Fong Lye in The Gardens for our dinner! So nice to see 6 of us sit, eat, chat and laugh together again! I HEART you all!!!
For the details on the food, please visit Melissa’s blog at the bottom. :D
Jingle All The Way2010
To let you have the idea of the importance of this gathering, I actually postponed my trip to BP home town (okay, I sound so sweet right? Hahahaha). :D Angie is back from Australia and I was so glad that she could make time for us on Christmas.
Was discussing with Christine about where we should meet. We were thinking of dinner, but then both of us thought, “we wouldn’t have much time to chat and catch up, let’s make it lunch!” LOL.
Then we found Poco Homemade, saw it in Berry’s blog before, the place looks special and unique. The place is not really so hard to find, there’s a very easy-to-read map in their blog. It’s just that Poco is not facing the main road, you will miss it easily. So, remember to always look to your left or right (depends on which direction you’re coming) for that little shop with pastel blue exterior. :)
Christine was the first to reach, both of us sitting and chatting and eating in Poco, waiting for the other 2 ladies to arrive.
Poco isn’t as spacious as it seems on the photos. It is pretty small, accommodating up to 20 persons or so perhaps. The decorations inside are pretty vintage and simple. It feels like we are back in the school days with those specially made wooden tables. Feel pretty much like home too.
The menu! So creative. There’s another menu made of wooden board. :)
I’m sure some of you may find this familiar. Yep, the trick that we used to play in primary school. :) It’s in Poco too, with the menu written on it.
Poco’s menu is pretty Japanese. I’d say most of them are of Japanese style. There is Katsu Don, soba, udon and Japanese cake.
Omelette Rice with Curry, RM13.80. With the Ho-Ho-Ho, it is so Christmas-y. :D
It is quite a lot! However, this is so-so only. The curry isn’t spicy at all and the rice is pretty “dull”.
Japanese cake. With squid, prawn, veggie and egg. :D This is delicious! Must try! (Sorry, I forgot the price. RM10 or so I think.)
Vivian and Angie came, but they have already taken their lunch. So, we went on to order all the desserts! Hahaha.
Green Tea Pudding with Red Bean, RM4. The green tea is so strong and it is so refreshing and aromatic!
Molten Chocolate Cake, RM5.80 or so. Sorry I couldn’t remember exactly how much. This is super yummy! The waiter asked if we would like to add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream! Of course we said YES! :D
Peanut Butter cake. The name says it all. It tastes good and sweet, just that it’s pretty dry to eat on its own. It would be better to dip this with some creamer or milk. Have a cup of coffee to go with this one would definitely be heaven too. :)
Tofu Cheese Cake. We got curious because of its name, so we ordered it. There is different layers of tastes in this cake. The tofu came first, then followed by the cheese and then all of them melted in your mouth together. If you do not like tofu, please don’t be adventurous. :) I love tofu, but honestly, I find this weird. :P
Rum Mascarpone. Super-duper delicious! You gotta try this. The rum may come off strong initially, but the sweetness followed and the chunky nuts and raisin blend in so well! Love it.
Overall, we like the desserts more. :) We have not tried the rest of the food, I shall return to try them all out. :D Perhaps with another bunch of crazy friends.
You may notice there isn’t any photo of drinks. Poco doesn’t have drinks? Nope. I was too thirsty, by the time I realised, my glass was already half empty. Anyway, the drinks are, normal. There isn’t anything to shout about. Some of them do not even worth the price. I suggest you to try the green tea, RM2 per cup. :) Not that it is nice, it’s the cheapest compared with other drinks which do not taste fantastic. We drank a lot! That’s because we talked a lot! LOL!
For the address and the map to Poco Homemade, you may visit their blog. To avoid disappointment that you may not be able to get a table, I suggest you to make a reservation before you go. Or, go early. They open at 12pm.
Here’s some photos of us having fun in Poco. :)
Vivian brought this cute Santa Claus hair band! What a coincidence that we both wore red. :D
Having fun with the artwork on the wall. :D
A surprise from Vivian. :D
And Chris got creative with all the props! LOL.
Angie, Chris and I headed to One Utama. Chris got me this arm massager as Christmas gift. :D Sorry my dear, didn’t get you anything in return. Thanks for the gift!
Had such a wonderful time with the girls. A special Christmas indeed. :)
Taiwan Posts. All Done!
Phew! Breathed out a sigh of relieve and happy when I finally finished all my Taiwan posts this afternoon! I just hope that it does help other travellers in planning their free & easy trip to Taipei.
Click this LINK to view all the Taiwan posts.
It is easy to travel free & easy in Taipei. In fact, I am a person/traveller who prefer to explore a place on my own except when I choose to have a no-brainer trip. Then, and only then would I go for an all-inclusive tour package. :)
Taiwan is a place where public transportation is of high level of efficiency and effectiveness. There isn’t a place where you couldn’t access to public transport. The effectiveness of public transport in Taiwan makes my own country looks like a total loser! I wonder why can’t my country do the same? 53 years of independence and yet our public transportation is still a mess. Trust me, most of us Malaysians would admit the same thing!
Travelling to Taiwan, all you have to do is figure out where you would like to visit, look up the transport information on the world wide web, and there you are. You are all set and ready to explore Taiwan at your own pace.
I travelled with a group of friends, 7 of us all together. I wouldn’t say that we have the perfect information on hand, but I’m glad that things worked out as planned. :) If you asked me if travelling in Taiwan is difficult, my answer would always be NO. If you can’t speak Mandarin, please have your friend who knows Mandarin, write out some common phrases/questions in Chinese on cardboards, such as where is the toilet, where is the MRT station and etc. That way, you can always use those cardboards when need be.
Taiwanese are mostly friendly. Even if there are few who are not, they wouldn’t be rude to you. However, please don’t take things for granted and don’t take advantages of their good nature. They are generally friendly but do not try to piss them off. :) Do use “please” and “thank you” a lot. I must have said a lot of thank-you’s in Taiwan and when I returned, my colleagues were surprised that I blurted out thank-you’s in almost every single little thing. :) You see, a good habit that we Malaysians don’t seem to appreciate and adopt. How sad.
I guess I’ve left a small part of my heart in Taiwan. It is the culture and the people that reached my heart and grabbed hold of a piece of it. It’s so sad to see that such a beautiful island is often tormented by Mother Nature.
9 months down the road, the urge to set foot on that beautiful island again is getting stronger. Now, it is dangerous. My impulsive nature could strike any time when I see those cheap air tickets! Hahaha.
REUNION @ Tasty Pot BBQ & Steamboat Buffet (via This is Me; Melissa’s Blog)
Since I didn’t take my baby “black box” with me, no photos taken and I am purely lazy to blog about the whole thing, let’s read what my friend, Melissa wrote about our reunion last Saturday.
A busy day for me, with mixed feelings too. Happy that I finally got to see them again, sad that I lost my preciousssss…… Afterall, I was happy. Surrounded by a bunch of cheery people could drown every negative emotions. :) Happiness was the main dish, sadness became the sideline. :D
Late Birthday Post
I’ve been wanting to blog about this but it has always slipped my mind. Bad Ashley.
This year birthday, which was in April, I received some unexpected gifts from friends. They came really unexpected and I was very touched with their gestures. As years gone by, I do not expect to receive birthday presents from friends and family. It is the thought that counts, and I would prefer spend my birthday with my family. Gift or not, doesn’t really matter to me. My worst fear is, spending birthday alone. Perhaps I am used to spending my birthday with my lovely family as I grew, to be alone during my own birthday has always been my nightmare. Nightmare happened once and I wish that it would not happen again.
The unexpected gifts, I must say these friends really understand me well. They know what I like. :) Love them so much. I haven’t had the chance to wear them, yet. It’s just because I do not want to dirty them.
Thank you, my dearest one-in-a-million friends. I was surprised, and I am deeply grateful for the gifts. (Not sure if they’re going to read this. Well, I’m just going to say thank you again.)
Now, let the photos speak for themselves. :)
The “Holiday” charm is from friend, whilst the 4-leaf clover lucky charm is a gift I bought for myself. :)
Lovely “butterfly” necklace. This is just so “Ashley”. Haha. :)
Note: Soon, I shall make a count for my Thomas Sabo collection. LOL. :p
Ashley
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