Every year there's a list of resolution

Printable calender by littlebrownpen

Ok, I do this every year. So might as well keep the tradition for 2009 too. Hope today is not too late for a resolution list, but well it's just 4th of Jan, just nice to start kicking everything anew. :)
For a moment I thought I was going to stop writing resolutions because it seems so kiddish and pointless as I may not even accomplish 20% of the written promises. For then again, after reading every blog that starts their first post in 2009 with a list of confident resolutions, I know resolutions are not just broken promises. They are friendly reminders, helping me to go through my life, keeping me on track and not to forget my aims, passions and promises I made to myself.
So here we go:

2009...what are you?

New beginning by sjengraving

1. Buy and manage a functional storefront to sell indie crafts, creative accessories, clothes and everything special and beautiful. Ok, this is pretty important to me. And this also includes selling at Etsy. Marketing and promoting stuff, sourcing for new materials/products, networking...lots of work to do.
   
2. To love my full time job (duh...). Ok, sounds like something impossible but I need this to be happier. So either I try to love my current job or find a job that I will love. If #1 is successful, then #2 will be cheering out loud. Hehe.
   
3. Be healthy. Eat healthy, live healthy and think healthy. (meaning...more exercise? argh, ok I will walk more)
4. To have a strong and lovely relationship. (just keep doing what I have been doing all this time :D )
5. Debt free by March 2009. And will not be using credit card anymore. I got this new debit card that is super great! And I can withdraw my Paypal funds to this debit card too, how awesome can that be? XD
6. Read more books on the shelf before stacking on new ones.
7. Learn screen printing and book binding. (yes!)
8. Buy a new camera for better photoshoot. (when #5 is accomplished)
9. Double my bank savings. (ho boy.....)
   

~~~~~~~~

A very resolved big-eyed blonde by thedreamygiraffe

Ok, better keep the resolution short and sweet (as usual). And oo...better to remind myself of things that I shouldn't do this year

1. No travelling. (In order to make resolutions above happen....T_T)
2. No more impulse buying on craft books or any books (refer to #6 above)
   
3. No more online games. (No more Perfect World!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will miss my werefox)
   

~~~~~~~~

What about my 2008 achievements? I don't want to brag about it (haha)...just say, I'm pretty happy and enjoyed 2008.

Another Sunday Post

Nothing new or interesting for the past few boring days....but I'm too bored not to blog about anything. And so this will be yet another random Sunday post.

Watched the much anticipated third installment of Pirates of The Caribbean: At World's End yesterday. Everyone thought third movie will be the best of trilogy. Well, I don't feel much for any of the POTC movies, I'm still very much a LOTR fans. How I hope they will make prequel for LOTR....much like for Star Wars, which I believe they will because Hollywood scripts are draining and they don't have much fiction novel to adapt anymore (that's why they make Eragon...puke puke). Anyway, back to POTC, the whole plot was too confusing (yeah, somesaid confusing and twisted plot make a movie looks sofisticatedly good) but POTC has too many betrayal plot which I was so confused who was actually betraying who. I like suprise ending and twisted plot but not confusing plot....it makes a lot of difference. Syrianna was confusing. Skeleton Key was twisted and the Sixth Sense had suprise ending. And it has too many Three Stooges jokes. Well ok, I get it, pirates were suppose to be very Stoogie, rite? And I don't like the ending too. Some character should be killed to spice up the ending....but being a Disney movie, it always has good ending. Okok...no more spoiler. I did not give away any spoiler, did I?
Anyway, the main bore were not from the movie itself, it was from the retard guy who sat next to us. He snorted out really retard horn-like laughs and was 'oooooooo', 'aaaaaaa' and 'yyyyyeeeerrrr' throughout the entire 3 hours. I never seen anyone as gay as this retard, who clasped his two hand over his mouth during exciting scenes and went 'yyyyeeeerrrrr' when he saw Davy Jones' tentacles. I can not believe he came with a date. The girl must be date-less for too long to end up with this annoying movie going retard. I might have enjoy the movie more if not because of this retard with horning laugh. Ei, really serious....he laughed like lorry horn.



Currently I'm sooooo into the Heroes series that everyone was so hyped about. And much to the high expection of this new series, it's as good as it was advertized. I don't watch a lot of Western series because they tend to be a lot of seasons. My all-time favourite series were Desperate Housewives and Sex in The City (which I did not follow all the seasons). Well, it seems like I never complete any series, not even my favourite. And some Western series were too tense like CSI and Prison Break, although undeniably very much more intelligent than those teeny Korean and Taiwan dramas. But since Heroes is still new with not too many episode (they just ended Season 1 at episode 23), I'll give it a shot and now I got hooked.
And to those who was hooked on this series as well, here's the poll that shows who's the strongest Heroes and the favourite Heroes. And Hiro Nakamura wins hands down. I like him a lot too. Without him, this series will be too serious and tense.


Yokie suggesting baking egg tarts from Kit Yen's recipe but she ends up shopping for her friend's wedding. She said she had a few weddings to attend next week and not enough clothes to parade along with her friends. And I told her that sometimes we have to succumb to our impulse buy also because we will never know when the cloths might come handy. So to speak, the wardrobe is one of our investment too. Hehe.
And since Yokie triggered my baking nerves, I can't help but bake the tarts myself. Tedious but fun. And Yokie will scold me because I forgot to give her a taste of my tarts. Soli lor.....forgot ar. When you came, I just rush out from my bath and forgot about it. Let you slap laaa.....>_<
As you can see from the pictures, some of the tarts turned out to be a bit odd. The filling kinda like sunk in the middle. I asked Chef Kit Yen but she had a few odd tarts too and has too idea why.


Last week, we had a farewell lunch for one of my colleagues at Kim Bali (aka The Assam House). The food there was delicious, much better than 1919(another Thai-fusion restaurant). And one of the dish that we had was rather peculiar but delicious. It was a starter with many nuts, garlics, spices and we had to wrap all those in a leaf and put on some of the sauce. It tasted really special....some might like it, some might not. I ate 3 leavesful.


Bye bye you handsome.....and that was the guy that NaiNai drooled so much when she first met him during their CNY visit to his house. Before you gals scold me for not introducing him, he's too shy ler and you all will maul at him and then scare him away and also big time ruining my reputation at work. Hahaha....


P/S : Haiya....I don't think he's handsome at all lar. You are still the most handsome. Hehe....

Randomness

Feeling a bit 'mou liew' (how to say that in English, anyone??)....so this entry will be short and with very random bits from then till now. But rant a bit first before I showcase my pictures. Work has been a chaos for the following months, resulting me working late...late as in 9-10pm. Some of you might not think that's late....but if you don't have a life or you're a born workaholic, then perhaps that's normal shit for you. But it's a nightmare to me.
Left work at 10pm, reach home at 10.20pm, bath-eat...da da da....11.30pm. And by that time I don't even have mood(or the strength) to online or do anything anymore, so to my bed I resided. And then dozed off lighting fast, like a switch....and then the next moment I was back to my sense, it was already in the morning, about to get to work again...and the cycle was repeating and repeating. Like I have no life outside work, like a robot, all programmed to repeat the cycle everyday.
Am I stress-out? Not mentally, but physically. I don't know what's physically wrong with me. When ppl stress out and over worked, they get thinner and thinner. But I'm in the reverse, I'm getting fatter and fatter. I'm not going to let this deteriorate, I'll get my bod back. >_< And the gym I will go. I swear I will. Not joking. I pay and I play and I work out and I get hot bod back and I wear bikini in Bali. GGGGGrrrrrr......... Ok...no more ranting....to the pics...need to sleep before 12.00am. Need hot bod back.

New place in town, called 'IceBay', right next to the Greentown's Oldtown Kopitiam. Sounded so much like Ice Ice Baby. Their ice blended drinks were not that good. I still perfer the good ol' Oldtown.

I think I posted this picture sometime ago, or perhaps in Yokie's blog. But I really like this group picture. It was my first time dining at Chilis. Good food, yeah.

Darn sleepy and boring looking at these guys play pools. At first I thought it will be cool but I was so wrong. The game was sooooooooo long and I got nothing better to do but look at the colour balls, like getting hypnotize....which did hypnotized me and make me extremely sleepy.

Okok...this was something I promised Matt before he leaves to Singapore. Happy now, dude? If not because of you, I won't be posting this pic because I look stupidly fat in it. -_- Hope you can go to Spore in peace. Hehe..

How could be no couple picture? Taken in Kim Gary's, last two week.

San Francisco's Steakhouse.
We had to eat something good everytime we travel.

We can push the button to call for the waiter, push to call for water and push for bills. So fun ler...

Waiting for our steak. See....I'm fat ady. T_T Next time no more good food during travel.

Best starter bun I'd ever eat. Sooooo good.

My steak. I ate a forkful before I took this pic.

Something cheesy in potato skin. I don't remember...but it's good too.

At Colin's wedding. The Michaelian's girlfriends.

This was taken candidly and I really like it.

I should post this long time ago...and some ppl are asking why I did not post them. Well, here's me....with my real identity. Hehe (it's an angel lar....it's wing lar....)

Darn....I didnt make it before midnite. Need to sleep now..............................

My Top 5

Just finished watching High Fidelity. I always love to watch such feel good and romantic movies. The main character Rob Gordon has a cute way to recall back his memories, listing everything in a Top 5, cronologically.

I'm going to make my own top 5s too.

Top 5 best romantic comedy movies:
1. Bridget Jone's Diary
2. The Holiday
3. Nottinghill
4. My Sassy Girl
5. High Fidelity (I can't think of another movie, so I had to put HF into the list but actually I don't really like this movie that much but the there's some scene that I really like, especially the proposal scene.)

Rob: I'm tired of the fantasy, because it doesn't really exist. And there are never really any surprises, and it never really...
Laura: Delivers?
Rob: Delivers. And I'm tired of it. And I'm tired of everything else for that matter. But I don't ever seem to get tired of you, so...



Top 5 romantic movies that made me cried:
1. A Walk To Remember
2. The Titanic (yala, I cried in this movie lar, lame hor -_-)
3. Days of Tomorrow (I hate to admit that I cried watching a Hong Kong movie....but this is good)
4. Windstruck (ppl said it's the prequel of My Sassy Girl but actually it's not)
5. .........(can't think of the fifth movie)

50 things to do before I die

Perhaps I'll make a longer list. I have so much things that I wana do....more than just 50.

1. Learn sign language
2. Road trip from North to South Malaysia.
3. Scuba dive and take beautiful pictures of the underwater world.
4. Visit 30 different countries. (So far, I'd only been to Thailand, Hong Kong....only 2??? 28 to go)
5. Get a dog.
6. See the Northern Lights/Aurora borealis. To really be at that the place and see the beautiful sky and experience the wonders of nature.
7. See sunset and sunrise. (This should easier to catch....compare to the Northern Light)
   
8. Move out to KL and go beyond my comfort zone.
   
9. Go to a play/live teather.
10. Go to Jay Chou live concert.
11. Climb a mountain. I think I'll start with Mt.Kinabalu.
    
12. Try the original Bali style massage and spa at Bali, the country itself.
    
    
13. Learn horse back riding
14. Go to some sporting event. Football, basketball, F1...just any sporting events with a lots of ppl. I don't like any particular sport but just want to get the feel of it. Or perhaps join in a wave.
    
15. Receive a ring and get married. hehe
    
16. Do charity work.
    
17. Have a small tattoo. Somewhere not that noticable.
    
18. Taste caviar.
19. To have my own house.
20. To have my own business. Selling in ebay is consider my own business if it's making money.
    
21. To experience back packing in Europe.
22. Read 1000 books (seems impossible, and I'm not sure when I'll start)
23. Watch 1000 movies (this is much much easier)
    
24. Do volunteery work at SPCA.
25. Make a piece of art and have it frame. Draw something, make something....
26. To indulge more in arts and craft. I simply don't have any time for anymore art creation or art exchange. But I did enjoy it very much when I started to know about mail art. I'll release my creativity when I have my time more organize (I guess that'll be when I retire from work).
    
27. To have a room of arts and crafts when I have my own house.
28. Be a great cook. Both cooking and baking. Have my own collection of recipe.
    
29. Grow a garden (when I have my own house).
30. Feel snow. I mean real snow, not those artificial snow in Genting.
31. Learn how to dance. At least some proper ballroom dance.
32. Have my own studio shot album.(almost done.....almost...)
33. Bungee jump. (This is the least that I want to do in my list but it's almost in everyone's to- do list. I don't want to miss something everyone else wanted to do. I just hope I wont die or faint during the jump.)
34. Get on a ship cruise and enjoy everything they can offer.
35. Keep in touch with all my best friends and will always find the time to hang out or even do some of the things listed here with them.
    
36. Adopt a pet from shelter. (Not same with #5 lar, coz this have to really go to shelter place like SPCA and adopt a pet. Not just simply buy a dog from petshop. This is more noble. Hehe)
    
37. Learn calligraphy.(and calligraphy art).
38. Go to the Olympics.
39. Ride a gondola in Venice, Italy.
    
    
    
40. Be in love. Stay in love.
    
41. Complete the list before I die.
42. Hot spring bath naked in Japan.
    
    
    
43. Learn how to write and read Chinese.
44. Learn to converse in another language (I have in mind are Japanese, Dutch and French).
45. Complete a marathon/walkathon/jogathon/whatever it's call. Better if it's for charity.
    
46. Indulge in fine dining. (and #18)
47. Make my own mini library of books and DVDs/CDs.
48. Buy a SLR digital camera and excel in photography.
49. Ski. (by the time I achieve #30, I shall be doing this.hehe)
    
50. Be a mother. (also the least thing that I want to do now....but I guess it's a blessing being a mother and by the time I turn 30, I might want to be one.)

Hmm, not easy trying to make this list. I try to think of something that I might actually do and achieve. I read some other list with really too-easy task such as be happy, learn to drive, quit current job...dadada... My 50-things-to-do-before-I-die list are mostly challenging task that will need much of my courage, patience and effort. Some I don't really want/dare to try like bungee jumping but what the heck, you only live once. If I really died of shock during the dive, then I might be feature in the news in papers and TV, and well, that's another big achievement. Hehe.

To cut down my expenses

Today I did a good job in getting control of my bad(and getting worse) spending habit. I saw Cellnique Pro-Sebum Gel selling in Watson for RM168. The Cellnique Pro-Series package includes this Pro-Sebum Gel, bottle of mask and cleansing gel. I thought this was a great deal because the Pro-Sebum Gel itself is selling at RM139 and now for RM168 I got three great items!!!!! I took the pack, read the description at the back of the box, put it back, took it and re-read it again and put in back again...and strolled to some other selves. And then came back to the same stack of this evil package that kept summoning me to buy it but with the strong will at heart, I put it back and rush to the counter and pay my other stuff and leave the evil thing. AAAArrrgggghhhh....I did overcome the urge to buy something. I think I'm marvellous and deserve to reward myself with buying something for myself.

And actually I wanted to go to salon today, to rebond my hair. But I tried to occupy myself with something else. Asked Kin Fai out for breakfast and then went for movie and by the time he sent me home it was already 5pm. Hahaha...another RM300 unspend.

Looks like, I'm doing good in cutting down my expenses. Lets see how can I save more moolah...

1. Cut down the frequency of going to Coffee Bean and Starbucks.
   I'm not a coffee person and certainly not any blended drinks person but .....Sigh....I'll miss lazing my butt at those famous coffee bar. I really enjoy reading mags, observing ppl along the street, and chatting the day off. Usually Kin Fai and me will hang out there to kill the time if we bought midnight movie tickets. But we really has to cut down our visits. I know we're going too often when the barristers started to recognize us and getting friendly with us (and once we even got a free drink, the smoothie of the month). So, now we'll only go there once a month. We can hang out at someplace cheaper like Oldtown Cafe or the conventional kopitiam.
   
   
2. Only going for two movies in the cinema every month
   We both are avid movie goers. Other than Malay or Indian movies, sappy Asian love storie and pathetic teen movies, we never fail to watch every single movie being screen in TGV Ipoh. Tickets are selling as high as RM9 during weekend. So to cut down on this, we must choose which movie that's worth the money and the 'umph' to watch in cinema. Watching DVD is a lot more cheaper and comfortable.
   (but failed this today, paid RM18 to watch Thai's new horror movie 'The Unseeable' which was kinda lame with too many deliberate twists)
   
   
3. No more going to boutique!!!!
   Since I'd had enough of shopping at KL I'd made a solemn promise to myself not to step into anymore boutiques in Ipoh for the next 6 months. And then if I could possibly do this most difficult task of all, I will reward myself with some new clothes and then no more boutiques again for the next 6 months. By year end, I'll(perhaps with Yokie again..hehe) go shop like crazy in KL again. Yayyy!!!
   This definately is the most difficult task of all, I need a massive strong will to refrain myself from entering those shops. I windowshopped through a few boutiques today and my eyes couldnt keep off from the nicely dressed mannequins at the window display. But thanks to Fai who dragged me away from the boutiques danger zone.
   
   
4. No more facial and spa at beauty center
   I pampered myself a lot last year. Signed up a RM500 facial course and tried the whole body massage and spa. I felt like being served like a princess. It's remarkably wonderful and revitalized. But also unnessecary and money was spent lightning fast. So from now on, all the facial and spa-like bath will be all at home. But it's good to reward my tire body and soul with some massage once a while. I'll try to find a good massage service but can't got too addited with this. Perhaps once every semi-annually?
   
   
5. Cut down visits to salons
   I know I'm going to salon too often because I got close with the stylist and even has their phone numbers and even MSN chat with one of my hairdresser. Really need to cut down on this. So I'll only go to the salon once every 6 months, reasonable, right?
   (refraining myself from going to get a hair rebonding, until after CNY.)
   
   
6. Don't buy magazine
   Another addiction that I need to cut off totally. I bought too many magazines, and most of it was unread or just flipped through a few pages. Not only fashion mags, sometimes it's computer mag, science mag, and Chinese/Japanese fashion mags that I can't even read but just look at the fashion trend they featured. So from now on, no more buying mag and finish all the old back-dated mags. I can live without them. I don't even follow the fashion trend in the mags.
   
   
7. Don't buy anymore books until I finished off what I have on my shelf
   And yet another addiction that I can live without. I am soooo addicted to books. Not reading books but buying books. I bought so many and decorated them on my selves. What the ****? Spent few hundreds on those books and not reading them. >_<
8. Cut down lunches and dinners at expensive restaurants
   Which means, no more expensive Japanese food and Western food. But sometimes after a hard weekdays at work, could grant myself some good food but if not, better stick to economy rice and home cook meal.

That's all that I could think off. Please give me more ideas on how to strive through my 2007 Budget Plan.

Bags of suprises

Yoke Ping is talking about bags with me. I'm glad that she's finally realize the importance of BAGS. I have too many things to carry around. I'm not complete if I didn't bring them along.
But then I told her that I don't buy too many bags. Difficult to find those that really 'click' with me. But she said 'Really.....???' as if not believing. -_-So, I took out my cam and I came up with this entry.

BAG NO.1

The latest bag I bought from Esprit together wit Yoke Ping. Simple and girlish. RM69.90 was consider cheap for anything Esprit. But then again, I need a feel-good bag like this. It make me feel like seventeen.Hahaha.

BAG NO.2

A gift from Debbie (another best gal friend). The colour is a little bitchy although I always favour pink. But I think this is what they call fuchsia(the hot colour in every fashion mag)?? I think so. I'd been over-using this bag. It can be carry as a sling and also as a shoulder bag. That's why I love this bag so much.

BAG NO.3

This is my sport bag from FILA. I really did like this bag mainly because of the soft pink. But then again, stupid FILA is over-producing their merchandise and I can see almost everyone carrying such sports bag. I even saw those bags hanging on some auntie's arm. Sheessh.

BAG NO.4

My cheap working bag from COMMA. I don't really enjoy working, hence I don't even want to invest heavily on my working bag.

BAG NO.5

MNG bag. So lady like. One of my over-used bag too. But then it make me look too lady and old. So I didnt use this anymore. Unless I need the colour to match my outfit.

BAG NO.6

Unbranded pink sling bag. Love Love Love this bag to bits. I'd been using this bags wherever I go....until I got the fuchsia one.

BAG NO.7

One of my earliest shopping bag. I got this at KL. I love this too. Still using it from time to time.

OMG OMG!!!! Yoke Ping was right about me. I have more bags than enough. I have 7 bags!!!!! And I still haven't include those worn out ones and my NIKE school bag. I don't need anymore bags for the next decade(I hope).

ACCESSORIES

A bit out of topic but I got those cute-to-bits handphone accessories a few days ago when I went to the post office near my place. It was a small corner shop selling cutesy-bitsy stuff. I was so suprised that they were selling such cute things with cheap prices. All the thingy cost less than RM4! And I ended up buying 5 pieces. I'm planning to give some to my friends. I just can't resist things like that. And I'm thinking of selling such things on the internet. Brilliant e-commercing idea?

Actually I should finish blogging this hours ago but Yoke Ping keep talking non-stop to me over the messenger. OKOK, I don't blame you. My blogging speed not as fast as yours. Imagine that I'd join bloggers for 2 years with only a total of 45 posts but Yoke Ping only joined sinced a few months ago but already with 39 posts. Everyone, be flabbergasted. HAHAHA.

Hmmm....I suppose to be updating my resume for jobstreet. But....well....sleep now. Zzzzzz