Dreams Vault
Do you have dreams? One? Two? Five? Ten?
You see, I have a lot of dreams, I put them together in an imaginary box. They are like my dreams vault.
Last year, I learned to hope and dream hard. Andrew said, the laws of attraction, you have to think positive to attract the positive. No, you can’t even doubt your dream, not even one little bit. The moment you are thinking that negative side, the negative happens. I’ve learnt not to let the negative part gets to me.
Well, people always say the more you hope/dream for it, the more disappointment you’ll get if it doesn’t come true. Hey, don’t you see it? You are already expecting the disappointment when you are hoping for it. Again, the laws of attraction, when you are already expecting the bad, how can the good come?
Have you ever wondered what will happen if you hope/dream for the best but expect nothing? Think about it. ;)
I always hope/dream for the best thing to happen. Well, if it doesn’t happen, I’ll keep dreaming for it. Why get upset or disappointed by it not happening? It happens, good! If it doesn’t, it’s ok, I’ll keep on dreaming until it happens. If it will not happen forever? Well, I know it will, one way or the other. Good thing happens when you least expect it. Dream, and hope, not expect. :)
Andrew said I want so many things…… I’m a realistic person, I WANT things that I know I can get. I don’t want a moon or a star. Those wants, are my dreams. No matter how small they are, they are still my dreams. Every little dream that comes true, is a dream came true. No dream is too small, or too big.
Do you have a dreams vault too? Start dreaming, and stop expecting. :)
This Means War 2012
Wanted to watch this with Andrew, something happened at the workplace, and I made a choice to go with colleagues. Sigh…… It’s difficult to work here, and it is more difficult when you are in the HR department here. *Sighs big sigh*
So, This Means War, gotten the tickets at second row from the screen! Perfect! Just perfect for eyesight and headache. People say you can’t cure stupidity, I say you can’t cure stupidity AND stubbornness. Stupid and stubborn? No problem, you just die faster. Best of all, I nearly got killed by stupidity and stubbornness. Had a bad headache with strained neck and tired eyes at the end of the movie. SIGH!
Now, back to the movie.
The moment I know Chris Pine and Tom Hardy starred in the movie, I know at least I would have some fun looking at the handsome chap if at all the movie is bad. It turned out that the movie was great! I really had some good laugh! However, I totally didn’t enjoy the action scenes. Too near to the big screen, whenever there’s an action scene, all I saw was people flying all over the screen and I didn’t know who they are. Fortunately, the humours made up for it.
The 2 good looking young men are unquestionably, handsome and hot with that killer bod. Gosh, I was “salivating” whenever they flashed their fabulous bodies! My goodness…… Recalling them now still makes me swallow hard. LOL! Reese Witherspoon however appeared to be, old. :( No doubt she is still pretty, but she looks so much older than the men! Feel sorry for her. She looked so cute and young in Just Like Heaven. Oh well, that was like 7 years ago. Sigh……
This Means War is a good comedy. If I were to choose, I’d be torn between that two gorgeous men too. :P I may choose Tom Hardy, for his sexy manly voice and that British accent! Wuahahahahahaha……
Do watch it for a good laugh, it’s worth your time. ;) I’m going to watch second time! :D
Break
Happy halo
Gone for good
Bitter, hello
Stay it would
Feeling so low
That’s my mood
A break or so
Take I should
I need a break!
NOW!
~ Ashley
Feel unhappy lately, both at work and home. No, not because of Andrew. I am happy when I’m with him, it’s the house. Most of the things are still in a mess. The living room is fine, but kitchen is pretty empty, I don’t have utensils to cook. Salt, pepper, cooking oil…… I don’t have any of that to cook. As much as I want to cook, I don’t have what is required to cook.
Still haven’t bought new mattress and bed for master bedroom. We are now sleeping on the mattress on the floor. The old mattress is straining my back, backache is back and is getting worse. Couldn’t sleep well lately. Just gotten the wardrobe settled, finally we can continue to furnish our bedroom and start unpacking the clothes.
You may say that I am exaggerating the wardrobe issue, I can still unpack even if the wardrobe without handles and I can still furnish my room without the wardrobe. Well, unpack and risk getting the clothes dirty? How was I going to open the doors everyday without handles? How to furnish when the room is full with stuff that I can’t unpack? Anyway, it’s over now.
Feeling so helpless at work. I am still doing everything on my own. Boss is expecting more from me. When I concentrate on one thing, I can’t do the rest. So helpless…… He too has said things that I felt uncomfortable with.
Both the house and work is taking its toll on me. I am so tired that I practically do nothing during weekends except house chores. I have not felt so tired before. -__-
I seriously need a break. So people say “take a break” for a reason. I need to take a break.
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.
The OMEGA
I consider myself a sentimental person. I grow feelings towards the things I own, big or small.
I don’t change my shoes very often. I have 2 pairs for casual, 4 pairs for work/function/dinner, a pair of slipper and a pair for exercise. If you’re telling me it’s a lot, well, wait till you see my sisters’ shoes cabinet! LOL! I buy new shoes only when the one I’m wearing is not wearable anymore. I often feel very heavy-hearted to throw away my shoes when they’re no longer wearable. I even keep my old crocs for 2 years already. For what? I don’t know. It went through thick and thin with me, can’t just throw it, right?
I don’t have a lot of bags too. Bag is something that I treasure a lot. I’ll make sure I buy a good one that can last me for years, so I’ll go for quality and practicality for bags. Since I have a good quality one, again it is very hard for me when the bag got worn off or torn.
My clothes, is the only thing that I keep buying. :D However, I grow feelings towards them too. Those with quality that I could wear for years, I take really good care of them. I have clothes that I have been wearing for 5 years! I will be sad when a piece of shirt got torn, or it is so old that I can’t wear it anymore. I try not to buy clothes which I know is going to be outdated the following year. My motto of shopping for clothes, “things that make Ashley, Ashley”. Perhaps that’s the reason why I feel so much for my clothes.
Watch, is something that I don’t buy often too. The main and important reason is, I believe in “love at first sight” when it comes to watches. When I have one, I stick to it until, again, it serves its cause. Or, until I feel like adding new one to the “family”. :D Watch is something that will not have wear and tear, scratches yes. So, I often go for one that I can wear for any occasion.
That time has come, been itching for a new watch since last year. Colleague recommended Suunto to me, but it’s not what I like. It’s more of a sports watch, and they’re all digital watches. I like only analogue watches, love seeing those numbers on the face and how the hands move when it goes tick tock. :)
Tag Heuer advertisements are everywhere, but I don’t really like their designs. They’re too tough-looking, and lack of that classic look of a watch. Then I saw Omega Seamaster. My goodness!!! So pretty…… Sigh…… It comes with a price tag that I can’t afford……
So, it’s either I start saving now, or I just drop the idea of owning an Omega. If you know me well enough, I’m sure you will know my answer. ;) Ashley isn’t quite a quitter.
Seamaster Aqua Terra – Red gold on leather. Love this so much!!!
De Ville Hour Vision Blue – Special edition for ORBIS. How about splurging and doing charity together? In support of ORBIS, Omega guaranteed that at least one million U.S. dollars from its sale will be donated to ORBIS. More reason to buy Omega. :D
De Ville Co-Axial Rattrapante – Red gold on leather. This one looks so sophisticated. Love Omega Men’s collection more than Ladies’.
De Ville Hour Vision Annual Calendar – Red gold on leather. I love leather watches, dislike the coldness the steel feels on my wrist.
Meet the Speedmaster Chronometer (Ladies) on leather! This is so pretty and versatile!!! If I have this, I wouldn’t want any other watches!
De Ville Annual Calendar – Platinum on leather. Platinum??? *Blinks* It’s a platinum case!!! Gosh, how much does this darn thing cost?!
Alright, enough of OMEGA. Now, back to the reality of, I CAN’T AFFORD NONE OF THE ABOVE! T__T
~ All photos courtesy of Omega. ~
John Carter 2012
Wanted to watch “This Means War” but couldn’t wait for the showtime, so John Carter that is.
Andrew was bad in making fun of the name, John Carter. In Hokkien, Carter sounds like “karh teyh”, meaning ‘short legged’!!! The first time he joked about it:
Andrew: John Carter must have short legs.
Me: Huh? Why? What makes you said so?
Andrew: Carter mah –> “karh teyh” ahhhh…..
Me: What the……. *LMFAO*
I was laughing so hard!
Ok, enough of the joke, back to the movie. Both of us went in to the cinema without knowing exactly what story it was, all we know was that it was some sci-fi stuff. When the teleporting stuff started and all that Barsoom and Helium, I started to ask questions. Ask who? Andrew lah of course!
I was asking how come suddenly he could walk so well, how does he control, he was running but how come not super fast, why like that, how come…… Andrew answered them all with “I don’t know”. That’s it, I know I gotta ditch all the logic sense behind and just throw myself in for some non-logical-totally-absurd-and-bizarre movie.
The movie is not too bad, love the visuals and colors. The green Tharks remind me of Avatar. Hahaha. Hmm…… Could the ideas of Avatar come from John Carter’s novels? The teleport thing, the “copy” thingy, the “original dies and copy dies” concept… Hmm…… You be the judge.
The story, my goodness…… It’s a science fiction movie, you can’t explain most of the things happened in the movie. The characters are vaguely introduced too. A lot of time wasted on unnecessary and lengthy conversations, which could well be used to explain more why the Therns exist, why Mars is chosen, why Earth has the cave, who is the goddess??? I got so confused when one of the Therns started explaining the Earth and Mars and what they do…… @__@ What was that again?????? Geez…… So lame. Was it the author or the director’s fault?
When I put all those confusion and trying-to-interpret aside, I enjoyed the movie more. Sigh…… Love the visuals of those blue ray, they are so pretty! Oh, and those gorgeous structure. There was some funny and humorous scenes too, I was laughing pretty loud a few times. Oh, Taylor Kitsch is John Carter!!! Nice body! :D There’s something unique about his face, he has both the bad-boy and cute looks. We will be seeing more of him this year as Battleship is coming soon. :D
I told Andrew, if I could be a superhero on Mars, I wouldn’t want to come back here neither! Hahahahaha……
So, is it worth to watch? It is, beautiful movie. Provided, you can shake off all your beliefs and logical sense. Just like watching Avatar, but John Carter requires more imaginations and non-science explanation.
Fight For Survival
When it comes to survival, everyone will do their best to fight for it.
Malaysia is a beautiful country. We are blessed with incredible natural resources, great weather with the sun all year round and we do not have natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanoes (although we are very near to Indonesia).
I love my country. I called myself lucky to be born here where people of different races live peacefully despite the occasional racisms raised by the politicians. There are lots of delicious food here that you can’t get them anywhere else in the world. Being a Malaysian, it means that you are a food lover. I have yet to find a Malaysian who does not love our local cuisines.
Sad to say, our country which has been ruled by the ruling party for over 50 years, is heading no where.
The famous slogan of “Malaysia BOLEH”, meaning “Malaysia Can”, has become a sarcastic remarks towards all the problems here. You can’t find it anywhere else in the world, ONLY in Malaysia. Why? Because Malaysia BOLEH. My friend, Melissa wrote a very interesting post on various Malaysia BOLEH issues, “I Live in “Boleh” Land Ma“, is both amusing and sad. Those are cold hard facts.
The recent Lynas rare-earth refinery issue in Kuantan, is getting so heated that everyone is talking about the same thing. The ambiguity of the waste management is the key point here, but NO one seems to be able to clear the “air” and assure the people with facts. “Someone” just failed to understand what the people want is just as simple as “transparency”. The way “they” handled it, they think the people are all 3 year-old.
Our public transport system is such a pain. I used to be taking LRT (light railway transit) to work, but I hate it now. It is so poorly maintained that it often breaks down. It was so crowded during peak hours that at times I had to wait 20 minutes in order to get on the train. Now there is some longer coach/train, the crowd issue is sort of resolved but the maintenance is still pretty poor. Don’t get me started on the bus system/routes and the KTM (train).
Everything is on the rise, except our salaries. The inflation rate keeps on rising and we are struggling to make ends meet. If you’re earning RM5000 a month, with a RM1400 housing loan and a RM1000 car loan, you can’t consider yourself rich. Average, yes.
How do we survive in this country for so long? Well, we just, survive. The generations before us did not have the advantage of internet and technology, but we do now. People begin to see what’s behind the closed curtains and many don’t like it. They can’t fool us with foolish stories any more.
Are you doing your part as a registered voter? Seriously, in my opinion, those who do not vote, do not have the rights to complain. You are the one who gave up your rights as a voter, and you want someone to listen to you now?
For better or worse, change is needed.
One Day 2011
One Day,
I met you.
I loved you.
One Day,
You left me.
You hurt me.
One Day,
We met again.
We kissed again.
One Day,
I fell.
I slept.
One Day,
I would choose,
To do it all over again.
~ Ashley
One Day, a heart-wrenching movie. By the time I finished the movie, my heart ached so much.
So near yet so far. It is so painful to see that Emma had to go through so much to be with the man she loved. I just can’t agree to the idea of “love is about self-sacrificing”. On the other hand, how could you let someone who loved you so much to slip away and took ages to realise that you loved him/her too?
Although Emma did get to be with Dexter, it was a short-lived fairy tale. It is just, SAD! :(
I’m grateful, that the man I love, loves me back too. That I do not need to go through a decade of pain and wait for the man to love me back.
Life is too short to not let your loved ones know, that you love them.
Now go, “love” someone whole-heartedly. :)
Bridesmaids 2011
Been hearing/reading nice reviews about this movie, but I didn’t get to watch it last year. Well, having a husband who adores actions, adventures, comedies, great cast and great stories, it is mission-impossible to get him to the cinema with me for a chick flick like this. How about my girl-friends? Hmm…… It’s funny, I don’t do movies with my girl-friends. Ah, we prefer to best use the time for catching up and gossips. LOL! Girls being girls, what do you expect? :P
Bridesmaids, so much of girl-friends stuff. I was amused, touched, sad and happy while watching it. I’m not sure how many of you out there could relate yourself to Annie in the movie, that your bestest friend of all suddenly has a new best friend and she doesn’t seem to need you a lot than she used to. I understand that feelings all too well. Took me years to accept that it is not my fault, to rebuild the confidence, but I do not open up my true self to friends anymore. I still help friends whenever they need, but I do not devote my whole self to friends anymore. I don’t categorise my friends to “best friends” and “good friends” anymore. If you’re a friend that’s worth my effort, you are my friend. Only a few really see the real me, those are the people that I am willing to let my guards down and be myself. Sad? Well, been hurt too much, it is only natural to want to protect yourself.
And how often have you experienced that awkward moment of meeting friends of your friend and struggling to find something to chat? And things get oh-so-diplomatic and people often asked if you’re married or how many children you have and blah, blah, blah! I was laughing so hard when Annie was at Lillian’s engagement party. Kakaka…… Mind you, it does happen to me, all the time! LOL!
Some may think that Annie is silly in her relationship with Ted, well, you don’t judge someone just like that. Her insecurities and low self-esteem, made her sexual relationship with Ted seemed so heaven. Who could blame her?
Anyway, it is a funny movie. Exaggerated sometimes, but it’s a movie. The message was clear, the actions were there, the humor was good and the ending was great. So, ya, one of my favorite comedies. :D
Ok, you don’t see me mentioning about the cast right? Seriously and honestly, I’m not familiar with them. LOL! Seen them in some movies or TV before, but not often. Chris O’Dowd is kinda cute by the way, love his voice. :D
Disappearance
Ermm…… In case you’re wondering (and if you care), I’m still alive and kicking the ass of life. :D
I am SO VERY sorry for not updating my blog for such a long time. Please forgive this busy lady, will ya?
Work is hectic! Yes, hectic. This is the first time I used hectic to describe my work. With the new “thing” in the office, I am cracking my head in so many ways to come up with the best system. Yeah, if you think HR is as easy as payroll processing and paperwork only, you are more than welcome to have my job. I am the change agent, policy maker, policy custodian, “police”, counsellor, adviser, manager, decision maker, planner, organiser, problem solver…… Payroll takes only 1% of my time. What am I doing the rest of the time? Well, I can’t explain everything to you. No one would understand how HR works unless you are doing it. Really, you have not a clue.
Been to a 3-day accreditation workshop last week, so there’s 3 working days lost. Went to a 2-day HR networking event this week, another 2 days gone. All this does not help with the piling workload. After the HR event yesterday, my brain felt like it was going to explode. Too much information going on in there, I do not have the time to digest.
I have too many work issues to think, my brain does not even have the 1% space for other stuff. My life for the past 3 weeks – eat, work, sleep. Oh yes, I have 1 hour of drama-time from Monday to Thursday, that is one drama that I would not miss. Seriously, I’m too tired to do anything.
My head still feels groggy with all the information and knowledge. I need to “pour” some of them out but I just do not have the time, damn it. There are deadlines which are long past the due and I still can’t deliver. :( How I wish I could have someone who is capable enough to take some load off of me.
Well, I hate to say this, but I may not be able to blog as much as I want to in the future. Until I could clear some of the urgent tasks out of the way, I am really sorry for the emptiness here.
Sigh…… My brain and creativity are drained at work…… :(
Love is
It’s been so long since I last blogged. To be honest, I didn’t miss blogging at all for the past 2 weeks! Oh gosh…… Geez…… No!!! I must not let my passion die!!! I want to write!
Love is,
he eats whatever you want to eat even when he doesn’t like it.
Love is,
he goes wherever you want to go even when he doesn’t want to.
Love is,
he still holds your hand even when you’re mad at him.
Love is,
he offers to carry your handbag even when that makes him looks sissy.
Love is,
he will still kiss you even when you have the morning breath.
Love is,
he laughs at your jokes even when they’re not funny.
Love is,
he smiles and calls you “silly” even when you’re clumsy.
Love is,
loving your everything that other men do not love.
~ Ashley
P.S.: Love is, he still loves you even when you’re digging nose. LOL! :D Beat that!
Occupied
This post is backdated to 20th January 2012. I was writing in the evening and Andrew came to pick me up, didn’t get to finish and post it up.
24 hours a day and 7 days a week is not enough!
I’ve been working like a mad-dog for the past 2 weeks. Okay, I don’t know why I said “work like a mad-dog”, I certainly don’t bark crazily at people. Just…… Argh…… Damn, bloody, freaking busy that is……
Got so upset and angry with the house renovation stuff last Friday. (I’ll dedicate a post to this later on, please bear with me for the time being.)
My work is pouring in dinosaurs and the workload is increasing everyday. No kidding! I always dislike the beginning of the year, it’s my peak season of a year. Appraisals, increments, bonuses, organising Chinese New Year celebrations, HR plans, tax submission, EA forms, reconcile past year payroll, drafting letters and memos for new policies…… Geez!!! I can still go on. It’s worse when my colleague is on lllooonnnngggg MC. Can’t blame her, she didn’t wish for it either. But now I have to do everything and I only have 2 hands and one brain.
The nearing CNY is not helping. Leave me with little of time to prepare, both at work and home.
Today is my last day at work before the Chinese New Year break, right now at 8pm, I am still in the office. Trying to work something out, in the mean time, stealing some time to write this blog post.
不满
不满
太多了
每一字
每一句
听不下去
诸多道理
变成了借口
不悦
太久了
每一分
每一秒
苦忍下去
太多承诺
都成了泡影
不满
满满充斥了一颗心
欠缺的勇气
无以追寻
好想说
靠！老板，我不爽！！！
Mind Your Language
ARGH! I have not been blogging for the past 3 days! Shoot! My post-a-day resolution is going to be a failure again. -__-
As some of you who have been following my blog, may have know by now that I try very hard not to make simple obvious grammar mistakes when I write. I’ll read my post again after I hit the “Publish” button and correct the mistake if there is any. I am not perfect, there are times where I do make mistakes on spelling or grammar.
I get uneasy whenever I read a blog full of grammar and spelling mistakes. Or sometimes repeating the same small mistake over and over. Do they ever read what they wrote? Is their spelling checker not working?
I enjoy reading blogs that have their very own style. I appreciate bloggers who express themselves in their own language but not in perfect English. I understand what they’re trying to tell and I enjoy all the witty and humorous words of their own. However, when I have to read the sentence twice (or sometimes thrice) to figure out what exactly the blogger is trying to say, or when the blogger takes me on a long, long ride to come to a simple and easy conclusion, I get annoyed. I remember there was once I got so annoyed reading a blog that it gave me headache and I stopped reading it half way through. Argh… I was going round the bushes that the blogger led me in and there was no way out!
I seriously think that it is fine if you couldn’t write in perfect English and make some grammar mistake. No one is gonna punish you in this blogosphere. However, use simple English. English is just so easy and simple if you strip it bare. Compare this:
I have this nice feeling that I do not know how to describe but it certainly feels nice to feel that way towards it and perhaps I will visit it again.
Vs.
I love it and I’ll return.
Do you get me? It is worse when the first sentence is full of spelling and grammar mistakes and you have to work your brain double hard to interpret the whole thing!
I say, leave the long, descriptive English to the expert. Use your own “language” and style to express.
As the saying goes, “if you have nothing better to say, don’t say anything”. The same simple rule works in blogging too. Instead of typing all the rubbish, why not just cut it down to a few words that best express yourself?
Also, you can’t just impose something onto your style if you do not know how to use it, or worse, do not even know the meaning of it.
How wonderful if everyone could just write in simple, easy to understand language. Save our brain some energy.
Now you know why I love poems. They’re just so easy to read. The essence of a story. Mmm……
Lucky End of 2011
Year 2011 ended great!
Lucky star was shining upon me at the very last minute! I got the present from the MD, and it’s an iPad2!!! :D Although I have one, who wouldn’t be happy to win another one? :) I was so happy! When the MD called my name, I thought he was joking! LOL!
Un-boxing my new iPad2 :D From the MD. Now, Andrew is using my 16GB whilst the 32GB new iPad2 is mine. Wuahahahahaha…… :P
My boss was telling me not to stop dreaming yet. Just before I managed to ask him what he meant, he handed me a L’Occitane paper bag with a gift box inside. “Here, for you.” I was so surprised! This is the first time he bought me a Christmas gift! Double happiness! :D Andrew was saying it’s an appreciation gift as well. Hahahaha……
It’s a Peony Set! :D Aww… Smell lovely!
On the contrary, I feel a teeny bit of uneasy. Yes, he appreciates what I have contributed thus far, that is also sort of reminding me to continue doing the best. Do you see that invisible “pressure” haloing over my head? -_- Ohmmmm…………..
Will the good luck at the end of year 2011 follow me to the year of 2012????? I hope so! Ah…… Everything is so full of hope now.
I am so full of hope even with the house issue I have with Kubiq.
2012, end of the world or not, let’s live like there’s no tomorrow. :) Cheers!
IKEA Or Not? #2
Took us another 4 trips to IKEA to finalise the things that we wanted to buy, and we even went all out to examine the quality. We did not just think twice or thrice, but 4 or 5 times!
If you want to buy from IKEA, you have to first determine what are the things that you’re willing to compromise and the things that you could not tolerate even the slightest creak of the furniture.
Sofa. Andrew and I wanted a sofa that has wider seat area. We both have long legs (sorry, I don’t mean to show off), and we both know how uncomfortable it is to sit on a shorter cushion sofa. Secondly, we both wanted a good back support, or at least comfortable. We’ve seen a lot of sofas with the back designed so low that it only supports your lower back, which will cause strain to your neck and upper back if you sit for a long time, like watching TV. Only IKEA has such a sofa that met our requirements and with a price tag that we could afford. We sat on this sofa so many times and to make sure that it is comfortable, and at least could last us 5 years. Geez… Can’t believe that we actually thought so much before buying a sofa! Got the three-seat-sofa below from IKEA, at RM1799 in black-grey fabric. It could actually seat 4 persons. We’ve heard enough from people that we could get a bigger and nicer one in other furniture shop with RM1800. Heck with it. We have tried this, and it’s comfortable, good enough.
Dining table. When it came to dining table, Andrew and I wanted a square/rectangular one and with the extendable function. Both of us came from a big family, we know better what it’s like when family members gather together and not having sufficient sitting place around the dining table, end up taking turns to have a meal. I’m more lucky than him as I never experienced that since dad has an extendable table back in hometown. Andrew felt the need to have one like that even more than me. We tested all the dining tables in IKEA, our tolerance level for creaking sound from the table is zero. We too make sure that the table is steady and solid enough that it won’t shake. NORDEN is the most stable one, but it is too costly. We went for BJURSTA, RM625 oak veneer and could seat up to 10 persons after extended. Pretty solid I must say, even my dad gave his thumb up. :)
Dining chairs. I saw this AGEN rattan chair selling at RM69 each and I told Andrew I MUST at least get one. He asked, “where to put?” “I don’t care, I love it and I just want one.” Hahahaha…… I love rattan stuff, love its natural colors and smell. :D We were in a headache of what kind of dining chairs to get to match with the table. I told Andrew we could then get 2 AGEN chairs and go to the furniture shop to get another 2 wooden chairs, mix and match. End up, he bought 4 AGEN chairs for dining, solved all the problems and headaches. LOL! We spent RM901 for the dining set. Compared with those from the furniture shops, I would say it is pretty reasonable and I get what I wanted. Dad said it is such a waste to use such a nice chair for dining! Hahahaha…… “You don’t sit and eat there for hours, why get such a nice chair?” Well, at least it could double up as a chair for the guests IF we have more guests in the house. :)
TV console/bench. To customise one, our contractor quoted us RM800 for a 8 feet long TV wall shelf. RM800! Forget it. We have seen some really cheap one in IKEA and we thought of buy one and DIY it a little bit. Then, we recalled we have bought the 51″ TV and those cheap ones may not be able to hold. We were lucky to spot this LACK TV bench from IKEA, RM249! The cheapest and solid we have ever found! And it looks classy too. :)
Workstation/Study desk. I love this BESTA BURS desk from IKEA so much, but the price is a killer! RM999 for a desk!!! I must be out of mind if I were to buy it. Then, Andrew and I settled with VIKA AMON that costs only RM219 and both of us could actually share the same desk since it is long. When we made our final trip to IKEA, we saw a white MELLTORP dining table selling at RM159. We tested it, nah, bad for dining purposes. Hey, we could use it for study desk! It’s wide enough and long enough! Hooray! If this could serve us a good 2 years, we’re happy enough.
Bookcase. Being a bookworm, how could I not have a bookcase for my books? :P When I was doing my packing last week, I found out that I have 4 boxes of books and still have some outside the box. When the hell did I buy so many???? I told Andrew, seriously, one bookcase is not going to be enough. I fell in love with IKEA’s HEMNES bookcase. The grey-brown looks so classy and the quality is good. Of course lah, the price is GOOD too, RM799! Andrew is so not agreeing to it. :( Our budget for renovation over-ran, I told him my bookcases could wait. However, it was so nice of him to smuggle one BILLY bookcase for me. :) He loves the birch veneer and medium brown, but it’s RM245, RM76 more expensive than the white one. Every dime counts, we could only go for the white. Anyway, I’m happy with the white, matches the desk and wall color. :D A white study area.
Bed frame. We didn’t plan to buy any bed frame from IKEA. We don’t really trust its bed frame’s quality. Further more, most of their frames are in Queen size, there’s only a few selected designs available in King. Andrew’s father insisted to buy 2 single bed frames for the guest room. He got us 2 FJELLSE bed frames at RM139 each. It is of solid untreated wood, has natural wood color. I was pretty sceptical about its quality and was questioning Andrew why he allowed father-in-law to buy that. “He insisted.” Oh well…… When Andrew was assembling the bed frame, I was still doubting its quality. Shaking my head while looking at the thin legs, sighing when I saw the screws…… When everything was done, I was surprised with the slatted bed base. Wow… it is strong! Sister even went up and stood on it! The bed frame didn’t even move when I shook it! Surprise, surprise. When I laid down the mattress on it, my goodness, it makes such a fine and comfortable bed! So folks, you don’t judge a book by its cover, and now you don’t judge a bed frame by its look too. Again, do test and feel it before you make your decision.
Footstool. Saw this cheap footstool on IKEA website, SOLSTA PALLBO footstool at RM8.90! Grabbed one without thinking much. It could be used as a footstool or a stool. Quality? RM8.90, what do you expect? It comes with a cushion and cover! Pretty strong for RM8.90 price tag. Who says good things ain’t cheap and cheap things ain’t good?
Rattan lounger. Andrew’s father also got us this KARLSKRONA Lounger, RM399! I saw this when I went with Andrew, both of us love it so much. But we were thinking this could wait and we seriously do not want to splurge on other unnecessary stuff. His father, went with Andrew to get the rest of the stuff, saw it and told Andrew, “get this too! Nice!” Hahahahaha…… I was surprised that he appreciates rattan and having the same taste as us. :) The lounger does not just look good, it’s comfortable and pretty tough as well. It is now our favorite chair. :D The lamb skin I bought in Melbourne, match perfectly with the lounger! Happy with the investment back then, it isn’t expensive for a genuine lamb skin, cost us around RM150. It is better off to be on the lounger than the floor!
Rug/Carpet. We bought this HAMPEN rug 2 years ago after we bought the house. It was love at first sight for Andrew and he thought it was cheap. We remember the price back then was RM149, but now it is RM179. We planned to put it in the study area, but it is now in the living room. It’s very comfortable and definitely doesn’t look like some cheap rug that we’ve seen else where. However, the bits of the rug are coming off every now and then. It’s not some serious problem but it’s annoying especially when you see some green bits lying on your floor. It is too small for the living room, we may get a bigger one for the living room and move this to the study area later. Would I buy HAMPEN again? Yes, as long as the price is reasonable and the quality is of our acceptable level.
Bathroom mirrors. We were looking high and low for mirrors and shelves for the bathrooms. Nothing in IKEA caught our eyes. We gave up searching and thought we could get the mirror first and leave the shelf for later. On our last trip to IKEA, Andrew and I were delighted to see this FULLEN mirror with shelf, at RM49! We grabbed 2 sets, solved our problems once and for all! Not the best mirror and shelf, but it looks simple enough and less bulky for a small bathroom.
That’s all for now. There are still a few more that we may need to get from IKEA. The only concern we have right now is, too much of IKEA will make our home look too “familiar”. Imagine when your friends come to your house and say, “hey, I know this, it’s from IKEA! Oh, this one too! Hey, this is nice from IKEA!” -__-||| We are trying very hard to get those that you can’t recognize that they’re from IKEA from the first look.
IKEA is so deep into our life. You’re going to find at least one item in the house, that is from IKEA.
So, says who that IKEA no longer has good quality items? Look carefully, you can still find them.
The Challenge Continues
2011 in Review – Fish Avenue
Just this year alone, my blog is viewed 33,000 times. Most of the visitors came searching for information on Taiwan. I’m glad that I was able to help some of them. I understand how frustrated it is when sometimes some bloggers could give some misleading information. When I do not know, I’ll try my best to find out and if I couldn’t, I’ll tell only the truth that I do not know. No point pretending to know everything and giving the wrong information. When you can find everything in the world wide web, there is still something missing.
Found a few new bloggers, feels great to read from such inspiring and witty bloggers.
I’ll continue to show my support to WordPress, a much better place to be with. :)
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 33,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 12 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
This Is It, 2012!
The movie, 2012, has created a lot of fear in a hell lot of people. I say, if the end of the world is coming tomorrow, why worry now? You’re still going to die if you worry, so why not die happily? And, everybody will die together with you, you’re not alone. So, why fear? I have so many things that I want to do, and yes, I fear death. However, I do not fear the end of the world. The selfish part of me is thinking, everyone is going to die with me, why worry? The angel part of me is thinking, everything ends, so I could continue my journey on the other world, why fear? :)
Okay, end of the world or not, life has to go on. Here I am, hoping for a better 2012, looking back at what I’ve done in year 2011.
My many firsts in year 2011:
- First time been to Melbourne, Australia.
- Took my first heli ride in 12 Apostles, Melbourne.
- Got my first iPad (iPad2)!
- Went to Seoul for the first time.
- Gotten the house key to my first house!
- First time been to Cameron Highlands.
- First free dinner in Nando’s! (Wuahahahahaha)
- Gotten my first Chuck Taylor All Star :)
Didn’t travel as much as I did back in year 2010, most of the times busy with the house. The most memorable one would be the heli ride over the 12 Apostles, amazing!
For year 2012, I will…
- Exercise at least once a week
- Read at least one book a month
- Eat healthier
- Sleep early (latest by 12am)
I think I can easily do the second and third, the exercise requires strong determination though. Sleep early…… Which means cut down on TV time……
We shall see……
Happy New Year! Here’s wishing everyone a greater and healthier 2012! World peace! :)
IKEA Or Not? #1
All the while, people have been telling me that IKEA’s stuffs are not meant to last, the quality isn’t worth all the price that you’re paying. IKEA furnitures only expect to last 1 to 2 years, if you’re expecting to change them 2 years later, IKEA would be a good choice.
I’ve been buying stuff from IKEA, even when I did not own a house. From my experience and observations, IKEA isn’t a bad choice and the quality isn’t as bad as some of them described.
Bought a LACK coffee table many, many years ago. The photo above shows that there’s another layer beneath the top, but mine doesn’t have that. I can’t remember the price back then, it is RM79 now. The quality? I used it as a computer desk, you can imagine how heavy the monitor was and of course, the table actually sagged a little in the middle. Kept the table in the box for a while when I moved to another rented place, took it out again 2 years back. Now, Andrew told me he noticed the surface has some bubbles, wonder if it’s the humidity in the house that caused it or what. This table lasts more than 5 years, to me is pretty good enough.
Bought this ANEBODA wardrobe a year or so after I bought the LACK coffee table above, but mine is in birch veneer, price remains the same as RM249. It was on a lower price for few years. Quality? Damn good! I had 3 stacks of folded clothes at the bottom, almost reaching half of the wardrobe. Yes, the bottom did sag a little with all those clothes in it, but no difficulty in closing and opening the doors. When I moved all of the clothes out last week, I was shocked to see that the bottom bounced back to its original state! The legs are not even slightly bent. The clothes rail is still as tough as new, only that the coated paint is coming off, but it is not bent even when I had so many clothes hanging on it. I’ve seen my mom and sister’s wardrobes (bought from furniture shop) with the clothes rail bent to “V” shape! I’m surprised IKEA has such a good quality for a budget item like this. It looks new too after 5 years, my dad saw it last week and asked if I have just bought this. :)
Bought a FREDRIK desk 3 years ago, also birch veneer. Couldn’t remember the price too, perhaps the same as current one, RM449, but now they do not have birch anymore. Was using it for laptop most of the times, a flat screen monitor occupied one of the table top corner and the books and other stuff occupied the shelves on top. Quality? Good! There is some wear and tear marks on the table top, but it is quite a steady workstation. I used to sit there every night doing my translation, other than the “sweat” marks I left behind, it still looks pretty new.
These 3 were the biggest investments I had from IKEA. When we wanted to buy a bed-frame and a chest drawers, we went to the furniture shop and we regretted the decision. The bed-frame wooden supporting strip broke when I sat too hard on it. The locks on the chest drawers are rusted. It ain’t cheap, cost me RM500 for that drawers.
Andrew and I went hunting for furnitures since months ago. We do not have the budget for some super-expensive-superb-quality furnitures, Lorenzo doesn’t have what we wanted, Rozel is way out of budget, we resorted to those conventional furniture shops. We got so disappointed with the quality and the prices. They would give you attractive discounts, in fact they have actually marked up the prices. The quality? For a RM1800 sofa, IKEA’s sofas are way, way, way better quality than them! Designs? I thought I was living in the 80′s when I saw the designs available. A dining table (with chairs) the furniture shop sells at RM1500, is worse than the BJURSTA dining table (RM625) and AGEN chair (RM69) from IKEA. We were deeply saddened by the fact that the quality in those shops has gone so bad. :(
We have been to IKEA many times. Every time we saw something, we wrote down the prices and materials and we tried to find it somewhere else with the similar quality. Sad to say, either the quality is better but price is super expensive, or the quality is worse but the price is the same with IKEA. We came to a point that enough is enough, we got so tired with the hunting and disappointments. IKEA that is.
Christmas 2011
Had a very busy and tiring Christmas this year. However, a happy one too. :)
Parents came all the way to help me with the moving-in stuff. Sister was here with her daughter too. It was great to have them around while moving in, the house was always full with people and never quiet. :) They went back last night, it was so quiet all of a sudden.
Andrew and I finally had time to really sit down on that cosy sofa and watch some TV. Ahhh…… Could finally slowly taking in the feel of our own home. It’s something new we felt, a HOME, that belongs to no one else but US.
The dining and living room looks so much like a home. Still need to put up some things, but they now have the look of a home. The study area is in a mess! BIG mess. We can only sort out all the mess when the kitchen and wardrobe are done. Thanks to the so-called designer that our kitchen and wardrobe are NOT done by now.
Went to Wan Yi’s wedding on the night of Christmas. Get to catch up with some friends. :) Wan Yi looks so gorgeous especially in her red gown! Sigh…… Even the youngest amongst us friends is married now. :)
A very different Christmas we had.
Flotsam Phrases So It Seems
I was browsing through The Daily Post and I found something!
Flotsam Phrases - just take up space without adding to the meaning of a sentence. Thus there is usually no reason, where it is clear whose opinion is being expressed, to write In my opinion or It seems to me that. Other examples are in terms of, on a . . . basis, my sense is that, in the first instance, the fact of the matter, and the fact that. (Admittedly, some of these phrases may be useful in speech.) We have enough written words without these mere space-fillers.
I am so, so, so guilty of using Flotsam Phrases most of the time!
I like to use “It seems that” and “It looks to me that”. They’re actually useless in a sentence. I am already expressing my opinion, it doesn’t matter how it “looks” or “seems”!
I guess everyone of us is guilty of using them at some point. Why? Just to fill up the space! YES! Admit it my dear, you sometimes do want to make your post looks longer and full with words and to show that you CAN write too. Hahaha. I know, I know.
I shall cut down on the usage of Flotsam Phrases. My blog will then be a better place to read and save some space for better things. :)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Self Portrait
I am vain. Yes.
You could call me Miss Vain, I don’t mind. :)
I am me.
The one and only.
However, you can’t copy me.
It is the Ashley-ness that makes me, ME. :)
Those Days
There’s a new Taiwanese movie, has become so famous. Everyone (almost) seems to have watched it. Everyone who has watched it said it was a very good movie. 那些年，我们一起追的女孩, translated as “You Are The Apple Of My Eye”. The theme song, also became a popular hit.
I have not watched it. This is not a movie review post. The song, somehow reminded me of my school days, which I personally think it was lacking in fun.
I wasn’t a pretty girl back then. No boys have ever set eyes on me. I wasn’t the popular girl that was good in sports and school activities either. I was often, the one being left out. I tried joining others, fit in the circle. Somehow, something just wasn’t right for me. I was OK with everyone, had a few good friends, but something was still missing. To be honest, even right at this moment, looking back at my school days, I feel sad.
Those days, were good old days. However, I know I was trying too hard to be someone I was not meant to be. Now, I understand. I was trying so hard, to live up to others’ expectations.
I miss those days, where we had nothing to worry about except the examinations. Other than the worry-free part, I do not miss the rest.
Fortunately, my life after school is incredibly great. That sort of compensates the not-so-great school days.
Well, present is a gift. I shall live in the present, and look forward to what’s going to come.
Those days, were gone.
那些年，我错过了我自己。
这些年，努力活出我自己。
Ashley
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