Make a choice

“We often feel paralyzed by choice and make no choice. But the thing is, no choice is a choice. If you’re not doing something about it, you’re doing something about it.”

- Chris Guillebeau

I found this quote online and couldn't help but think of how apt it is to describe my thoughts right at this moment. I need to take a moment, calm down, analyze my situation and think clearly before making a decision on my next game plan. I feel like I should do something and live with the consequences, rather than waiting for something to happen and left to regret the outcome. Wish me luck. Lots of it.

Abby's birthday

It's my darling Datin Abby's birthday today and I'm so happy that we got to spend some time together, catching up on our girly talk over brunch. We initially had the idea to meet at Publika and I've been wanting to go check out the place after 9 out of 10 people I know who have been there gave me rave reviews. But then I remembered the very reason why we could catch up today was because it's a public holiday for the installation of the King and it would be the dumbest idea to head down to where the new palace is O.o

So we decided to meet at this Italian place called Casa del Cocco at Taman Danau Desa. I found this place with Mr Bun the other day, after realizing that a Korean place that we never tried before but wanted to, has already closed down. I usually shun places that has a limited menu but I actually like this place because the food's kinda great and the prices are super affordable. Not that I keep tab on the price of every dish, but both my visits thus far has not gone over RM60. My first visit with Mr Bun had two mains and a pizza, and today we had three girls with a main course and drink each, plus a pizza. How can you not love that?!

Check out the logs behind me. They're for the pizza oven. This place has a huge oven that takes up almost 1/3 of the open kitchen.

My pork herbs burger. My only gripe was that the buns were actually panini bread and they were kinda too hard to get away with being called a burger.

The birthday girl with her pork chop, which she deemed 'too porky'. Don't ask me.

Elvina decided to join us after waking up from her long, deep beauty sleep.

Her garlic pasta. It's not too big of a portion, I feel it's just nice. But this woman got hungry after just over an hour and wolfed down a slice of cake when she got home. She complained that the pasta portion was too small. I think she just has a case of the worms in her stomach because she had two slices of pizza to go with the pasta.

Our mushroom pizza. T'was nice. I love their thin and crunchy crust. I had the porky pizza with Mr Bun the other time and that was good too. They have a couple of dessert pizzas on the menu but I don't think I'll be brave enough to try those. 

I bought Abby some macaroons and it totally made her day. It's nice to see how friends appreciate and get excited over little things you do.

This is how they looked like when I got them home from The Gardens Mall yesterday. I took out Delectable's ribbons and replaced them with cute ribbons with 'Happy Birthday' printed on them <3

Trust me when I tell you she wasn't faking it. This woman had a massive sugar rush by just looking at them huge macaroons. I don't know what happened after she went home to her boyfriend lol.

Happy birthday Datin Abby!! Aren't you honoured that your birthday this year is declared as a public holiday and it's also an earth-shattering occasion? I came home after our brunch to an endless stream of tsunami and earthquake updates and it's hard not to get worried about what's going to happen to the affected areas. I guess we'll have to stay tuned for these couple of days. I remember it rained almost close to 24 hours back when the tsunami hit Japan. It was strangely sunny and warm today even though it's happening closer to home in Indonesia.

I was wearing a brand new mullet dress that I picked up at Cotton On while I was out getting Abby's macaroons. I couldn't help it!!!! Oh, please don't tell Mr Bun that I've been a naughty girl, out shopping when he's away ;)

Splattered all over

I've been feeling rather lazy uninspired lately, but I got a bit of my groove back today and hence the outfit post. I'm also thankful for the sun to stay shining after I got home to snap these few shots.

Wearing my awesome Jusco-found pants. At first I was trying to evade obnoxious relatives after I spotted them in the store. So I had to wander around another section and as fate would have it, these pair of pants called out to me while I was mindlessly flipping through clothing racks, waiting for annoying relatives to get out. I couldn't resist the temptation. They also look kinda like Diane von Furstenberg's paint effect skinny jeans. But mine aren't jeans. They're just really tight pants that put me at the risk of flashing my butt cheeks to the world if I'm not careful.

Here are my Chloe-esque ballet flats. Chloe released their designer version for their S/S 2011 collection, so that's about two years ago. These were also accidental finds. Life is good sometimes.

What else would go with the whole outfit but my baby on my wrist? I love it to bits but I cannot stop wondering where those mysterious stains on the strap come from (you can't see from this photo). I might suspect fake tan but I'm not a starlet from Hollywood so that's one suspect down.

Sit down and breathe

I feel like I've been on a complaining streak lately so I must sit myself down and think of the things that I need to be thankful for. 

I got a new job for the new year

I read this article by The BrandBuilder and it inspired me a lot. It's not like I got fired from my last job, but it made me feel good about taking a chance while I still can. It's been less than a month at my new job and I'm still feeling my way through but I have a feeling that it'll all be alright if I worked hard at it.

My in-laws like my cooking

Can I pour in a whole load of self-praise and say that they LOVED my cooking? Well, I don't know for sure but they did wipe everything clean when I went home with Mr Bun for Chinese New Year and spent three days cooking. It wasn't the grand Chinese dinner I had envisioned in my head but I sure did cook a whole lotta food to stuff everyone to the brim. I also found out that I need to learn more fatty pork dishes because ain't no Chinese dinner is complete without some good fatty oink.

I settled my problems like a real adult

You know how people always moan and bitch about their neighbours when some misunderstanding happens, and the situation usually ends up with them not speaking and silently cursing each other for whatever reason? I have this neighbour who lives on the same street, and they left their dog tied outside at the porch the other night. I don't have to tell you how bad that night was for me, with the dog barking throughout the goddamn night. To top it off, I drove for three friggin' hours on the same evening from Johor back to Cheras, with a long crawl at before every Seremban exit! (Wassup with you Seremban folks?!) I tried to knock on their door the next morning but there was no answer. I had to leave to work feeling supermegapissedoff and lethargic but I found solace in the awesome traffic while everyone else is still away from the city. Once I got to the office, I made a call to MPKJ, filed a report against this neighbour and hoped that they came to kick their sorry asses. But after I got home from work, I sat down and did some thinking. I came to realise that I was overreacting. So I hauled my ass over to talk to my neighbours and told them what their actions did to me. They apologised for it and explained why they left the dog tied outside and they were away when I came over to knock on their door. I felt sorry too and said that I will cancel the MPKJ report and hoped this will not happen again. I'm pretty positive that we ended the conversation without any bad feelings. That's what I tell myself anyway. But I'm super proud of myself for acting calmly and solve my problem. Thumbs up for me!!

I'll stay for free when I visit the USA

If I ever get around that, I can shamelessly visit and stay for free at Deb and Ed's place. That is, if Deb doesn't get super famous after launching 'The Real Housewives of Oregon' and forgets this friend. In all seriousness, I'll miss you Debs and have a great new life in the Gold Mountain with your gimshunhock. Click here if you have no idea what I'm gibbering about.

People like me

That's my shy optimist side speaking. People still talk to me and stuff, so they like me, don't they?

Snappity snaps 1

1. New headbands <3
2. Celebrating Winter Solstice at home with family
3. One of my attempts at self-praising - bought this cheeky tee for my hubby
4 & 5. Saying goodbye to my work desk and office as I leave for a new job come 2012
6. A snowflake on Christmas eve
7. Faux plant pup - totally adorbs and just what I need!
8. Korean BBQ dinner on Christmas eve
9. Beef tenderloin sizzling on the grill

Signing off 2011

My heart skipped a beat and fell on the lush green grass as I made my way onto the school field to run my final few laps here. In just about more than an hour I will be saying goodbye to the amazing institution which will forever mark my first foray into the education industry. It's been a great two and a half years working here but I shall be moving on within the same industry to join a new institution due to open in Nilai in 2013.

I haven't had the chance to share this piece of news but 2012 will truly be a new year for me. Well, at least in terms of my career. It all started with a few advances from the lost tribes of the rainforest which ultimately led to my decision to make a switch. I'll most probably be handling new challenges and gaining new experience as I will be part of a pre-opening team. It definitely sounds exciting and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've yet to let all the excitement and nervous tension take over me but I guess that will come naturally as my first day of working at a new place comes closer. It's baffling to realise that you don't grow out of that awkwardness - it's the exact same feeling as a young child switching to a new school and trying to make new friends even though you're not born as or trained with the skills to be a social butterfly. Maybe I need to get over it now that I'm an adult and all? Pffttt

2012 is just sneaking up around the corner, waiting for the right moment to pounce on us and leave us in bewilderment as 2011 seems to have gone too quickly. I haven't been able to sum up my feelings in a track that could express how I feel right now. But I will share a song that has strangely been playing on repeat in my mind the whole morning.

Forgive me if I seem terrible with goodbyes. Because I can be. I blame it all on nostalgic feelings during the year end and how sappy that can make one feel. It's been a great run through 2011 and I'm awaiting to see what 2012 will bring me.

Out of this world

Anxiously waiting for this maxi skirt with an amazing galaxy print to be packed off into the mail and delivered to me next week. The skirt pictured above is the closest I can find of my purchase. I can't believe I finally found it here at a reasonable price after drooling at the images all over the Internet. So glad I'm not crazy enough to order from this China website that I found earlier. Phew!

Who is Uncle Jang?

It's been a while since I had a nice relaxing time with my girlfriends so we decided to do just that. Sunday lunch at a small family-run Korean joint sounds like a great hangout to me. Jasmine's birthday is also coming up so what better excuse to meet up and have good food? Deb's going to be leaving to Oregon for good in two months' time so I'll try not to say no to meeting her before she leaves :( Here I got to taste bulgogi for the first time. I must say that it's a much better feeling to eat the yummy pork bulgogi than having to cook it all the time while I play Pucca Restaurant. Haha!

Almost famous

This is what I wore to Chic POP Street Market a couple of weekends ago. Aside from running into a girl who wore similar pants *rolls eyes*, everything was fab because I got photographed *here* and *here*. Hey, I'm not pissed off that I bumped into someone who wore similar pants, but I was offended that she kept hovering beside me while I was trying on a pair of shoes and the fact that I arrived at the stall first. I even overheard her telling her friend about some "no-no in fashion". You can very well go eff yourself, honey.

I was told by the photojournalist from Style Snaps that I was due for a prize but I haven't heard from them till today. Wonder what happened?

Bitter heart

My chest is heavy with pangs of disappointment and regret. Disappointment that arise after realising how I am perceived in the eyes of others. Regret as I allowed myself for everything to run its course. Mask changing is not my forte and will probably never be. But now is a crucial time for me to really learn how to filter my thoughts. How did it turn out that the best quality that I thought of myself has now become the venom that could cause my own death? My mind begs for an answer but my soul is too fragile to handle the truth. I get too emotional when I'm criticized for being me. I'm still shaken from the awakening and trying to pick up my strength to move forward. I've been trying for years to move forward and become a better me but have always faltered. Could this be my last chance if I fail again?

I cannot let myself down anymore.

Go up or get out

I think I'm on the brink of a realisation here - My shelf life could possibly be up to about two years before I start asking myself the question, "Where do I go from here?" It's time for the dreaded chat... about moving forward or outward. I'm being hopeful and keeping my fingers crossed.

Lust, Caution

1. YSL Arty Ring

2. Hermes Constance Bag

3. Miu Miu Platforms

4. Alexander McQueen Skull Clutch

5. Chanel 2.55 Bag

6. Jeffrey Campbell Foxy

7. Jeffrey Campbell Lita

8. Alexander Wang Rocco Bag

Just some of the things that I will not hesitate to buy if I were a millionaire. Or at least married to one. They will forever stay in my 'can see, cannot touch own' list.

A trip to meet the king

Yesterday we took a drive to Raub, Pahang to one of Mr Bun's colleague's hometown. The guy's family owns an orchard so we were treated to a durian feast. We had the opportunity to sample one of the most popular and expensive species, the Musang King. There were only a few, as they were mostly kept for the selling market. The rest of the durian weren't bad - they were either of the D24 or D101 species.

Scenic drive into the villages of Raub.

What we came for... after driving for more than three hours.

Cracking open the prickly shell to reveal its tender flesh.

Nomming on some Musang King.

Here's a photo of Mr Bun looking a lot like Crayon Shin Chan :p

Took a look at the bunch of bananas lying around and thought I would never eat that much even in a year.

After all that durian, we made a stop at Bukit Tinggi for some sightseeing. I know this place well from my previous job, but some of Mr Bun's colleagues have never been here so we decided to come along. I must say, the place looks more decent now that the incompetent dog walker has left (insider's language).

Medieval warrior greeted our arrival.

Stupid goose that kept bopping its head up and down, not letting me take a photo.

Fat fishies.

Wish I'd have more time to take off on short holidays. Right now I miss being at a beach :(

你过得好吗?

伯母，已经过了一百天. 你现在过得好吗？希望你在新的地方可以安心. 我们依然非常想念你。希望你可以看到我们尝试继续生活，虽然你与我们不再。我想念你。

Stripes and Dots

Folks at work had a barbeque session during lunch today and it was a good opportunity for some relaxation and fun. Perfect time for me to squeeze in some camwhoring shots!

It's a no brainer that good food is always involved, especially here in Malaysia. My only complaint is we didn't have enough satay to go around :)

Now I'm sitting in front of my iMac trying hard to not fall asleep. It rained heavily midway through the barbeque and now the weather is perfect for an afternoon nap. Can't wait to get home to my bed.