If I Was a Fashion Victim... err... Fashionista!

I love to look at designer goods... but it's only because I can't afford them, boohoo!

Actually, if I diligently saved up a bit of my pay every month, I may be able to get one item annually. But by the time I can afford to buy what I love, it may go out of season and I'll have to aim for something else in season! What's a girl to do...

In honor of pretty things, here's my ode to all things pretty (and unattainable)!

1. An Hermes Scarf (courtesy of usa.hermes.com)


2. Jimmy Choo Lace Pumps - They're NOT made for walking!


3. The Kate Spade Owl Bag - So cute!


4. The Pucci Cancello Nylon Bag - so bright n colorful!


5. The Coach Legacy Alligator Pocket Bag - It's Effing hot!

So Much for promises...

I promised myself (and whomever is reading my blog!) that I would update daily, but I am so uninspired that it's difficult to spew anything here!Ah well...

At least I had a nice weekend.

I hadn't gone out in a while, and with my neck going spastic on me on Friday, I was afraid I almost couldn't go out with my girlfriends on Sunday for some RnR at KLCC. We had brunch (well, lunch really because we only met up at noon precisely) at Nando's followed by coffee and cake at Dome's.

It was surprisingly quiet when we got to Dome, as that is the vantage point to the park, and there weren't many people to watch - our primary reason for going to KLCC in the first place! Still, we got a table outside, where the smoking diners usually converged, but moved five minutes later thanks to some misbehaving brat who kept moving his around that it hit mine several times! Parents these days... they have no control over their bratty kids! Manners people, you're sorely lacking in them!

Anyways, conversation leaned towards an ex-friend we had in common who stabbed us all in the back, by telling tall tales that led to a huge misunderstanding that eventually saw the three of us get closer and her to lose three friends in the blink of an eye... great friends who had her welfare in mind but she never saw that... she was in such denial that she never admitted to her wrongdoings only that she regretted we found out! OMG!! Your loss, sister!

A bit of shopping and seven hours later, we parted ways and are hoping for one final catch up before the one of us has to go home to Australia, where she lives with her hubby and lil six-month-old bub.

I am SO looking forward to another one of these sundays... it's quite refreshing and certainly beats staying at home with EVERYONE wanting to rest up and not leaving the "nest"... too little privacy.

Let's Start Over...

I tried, I really did... to keep my blog constantly updated. Well, who reads it anyway, I figure!
But I know I must, at the very least, continue to instill interest in people who are ACTUALLY reading what I have to say, ME! I have to discipline myself.
And so starting today, and everyday after, I simply must regal my fans with my daily tales - be they work, travel or travelling to work stories.
Sounds exciting so far right? :D
Except today (or technically Tues Apr 5) nothing exciting actually happened on my way to the office, except that I had like RM11 in my wallet and I was stuck in that God-awful traffic that led to the Tropicana Golf and Country Club, from Aman Suria... so concerned was I that I probably did not have enough cash on me to pay for my cab fare, I prayed all through those dreadful 20 minutes until I finally reached work, and thank God, I had about a buck plus to spare!
It's almost time to leave for home, and I'll be saying a prayer again for the first bus that will get me to the train station, where the next scheduled bus awaits to leave for Sunway, and from there, the bus to Klang.
Yes, it takes me four buses to get home for a total of 2 and a half hours. But I have no complaints when they're all on schedule.
On a good day like one of those, I'll be smiling all the way home and thanking God for working nights.

It's Time to Cleanse... but will it work?

I've been considering going on a detox cleanse for a while. But I have not been sure about the multiple diet plans or recipes available that I should go on.

Then there's no. of days that I should go on this diet. First, there was the three-day plan... but now when I Google for info, apparently detox diets can go as long as 30 days! I doubt I can go THAT long! I might kill someone before I make it halfway even!!

So I've decided on the 3-day cleanse. Am in the midst of collecting recipes, which seem to be easy, as long as I do not include meat, dairy products and processed foods, I should be fine with creating my own.

Next, when do I actually do this? The weekend is the most obvious time for a 3-day cleanse. But I have a long week coming up and the last thing I want to do is be all Zen-like then!

I'm gonna have to find the right weekend to do this... and maybe the weekend of Mar 4-6 will work for me.

In the meantime, I need to look for more recipes!

What The F***???

Imagine this scenario:

It’s a few days to pay day, and you’re stretching every ringgit you have. Your colleague, having discovered that you’re doing some serious belt-tightening, graciously offers to spot you a 50, and insists that you take it. So you gratefully accept the offer and repeatedly inform her that you’ll return the money once pay day comes around, but she assures you by saying you can take your time, joking that you work together and it’s not like you’re going to run away and not pay her back!
So you’re relieved to have that extra cash in your wallet, which you end up not using anyway, but on pay day, before you can even go to the bank on your break, she comes in to work and reminds you, “Eh you owe me money!” smiling as she does so. How would you feel then? A little embarrassed that you had to be reminded that you need to pay her back, and what’s worse she makes it obvious that almost everyone in your dept hears her!
Well I felt small. And offended! Was the offer to lend me money a sincere one at all? And believe me, I NEVER forget when I owe someone money, even the RM2 they spent to get me a packet of teh tarik. But to remind me when you see me the very next day, or on pay day, barely 24hrs after you supposedly assured me that I could take my time and pay you back, was such a tactless thing to do.
As kind as this colleague is, I’ve learnt my lesson to NEVER ever borrow money from her, EVER AGAIN! If all she’s going to do is make me feel like I owe her the WORLD, then she can keep her 50 bucks and use it for to wipe her own ass with it! I will not be humiliated when I never asked to borrow cash in the first place!

I went, I saw, I urm.... didn't quite conquer!!

It didn't go as planned.

I wanted to so badly to be at the Big Bad Book Sale on it's first day, which was Nov 12, but my best friend had to work, so we went the next day instead.

I even took that friday off to rest up and prepare myself for a good half day of eating up almost every book imaginable, but of course, I had to contain myself, and am bummed that I got half of what I actually planned on splurging my hard-earned money on.

Still, this year's sale - although it was held outside the Klang Valley, at South City Plaza in Seri Kembangan - was bigger than ever, and actually saw a much bigger crowd (there was a queue on the first day before the sale even began, which there wasn't at the Nov '09 sale in Amcorp Mall) of booklovers, new and old, converge for THE sale of the year.

With prices starting at RM5 and up to a maximum of RM30 (the actual retail price plus a few more ringgit of a paperback in most big chain bookstores), it's easy to pick up a selection of your chosen reads plus a bundle more of unfamiliar works, and dump them into your box/eco-bag and keep doing this without thinking about the price until you can't lug the load around anymore.

I filled my two eco-bags to the brim before i gave up and headed towards the counter to pay... and my friend wasn't that far behind. But after checking out each other's stash, we realized that we weren't done and took an hour's break before going back in!

RM300 poorer (I'm not feeling yet... am waiting for my credit card statement to arrive via email), but my soul is oh so delighted at the prospect of nourishing itself with the many delicious treats I got to keep me happy until next year... when I'm aiming to spend a record RM500 (by my standards) of money saved and it will be the first day of the Big Bad Wolf's return.

I've got to start the incantations for a geographically-friendly location for next year's trip!! :D

The Wolf's back... somebody stop me!!

I am trying SO HARD not to think about it... but the eventuality of it will have me running to South City Plaza from November 12 and spend my hard earned moolah on my favorite drug - BOOKS!

Oh yes, the Big Bad Wolf is back! And the Big Bad Sale will this time around, be held outside the Klang Valley, in Seri Kembangan to be precise (I'm pretty sure my Geography is not lost on me).

I promised myself that I will be shopping for Christmas presents and maybe get a couple of hardcovers for me. I mean, the over RM200 that I spent at last year's sale are still sitting in an eco-friendly bag by my bed!! There's just too little time to read when you're dead tired after work. But I plan to finish those books.

So yeah, I'm going to need more reading material, but of course the bulk will be pressies and I've already prepared the list... a very short one. :( Yeah, not everyone in my family or even my extended family, read all that much.

I hope I won't have to keep what I get for them, for myself (smiling devilishly!). Well, I can never get enough of books, so sue me if I do!!

But NO! I have to control myself. I'll just keep my credit card at home and carry a set amount of cash. Enough to get what's on my list. And if there isn't enough...? Well, I'll borrow from my best friend, who'll be joining me that very first day.

I'm ready, counting the days... I've already applied for leave. Now, to set reminders on my cellphone. :P

It's been a while...

Wow, it’s been some time since I’ve updated my blog.

Blame it on a lack of inspiration or just plain exhaustion, I simply have not been excited enough to share my thoughts or vent my anger at whatever it is that may be driving me crazy.

But I plan to change that.

I need to be inspired! Been feeling like a drone, that wakes up each evening, fills up and heads out the door to work…. Doing the same thing five days a week, then return home on weekends only to do… nothing?

I’ve tried digging out the creative artist in me, by making jewelry at one point. I went online and bought numerous bits and bobs like beads and findings, hoping to create a masterpiece or two. I did succeed at selling off a few of my trinkets… and instead of that being the catalyst for me to keep going, I just stopped. There went any ideas I had about starting my own little business.

Then, I thought, maybe I could design and sew bags! Purses, a few clutches, handbags… a lady could always do with another accessory to bring her whole outfit together! Feeling gung-ho, I went shopping for interesting fabrics that I could work magic with. Then I came out with a few items, some I gifted and a few were sold… but again, it didn’t give me the motivation to pursue this new-found interest I had in making bags.

Looking back now, I realized that as much as I wanted a new ambition that would take me out of this rut of a mundane five-days-a-week job, I was really looking to break away from the norm and do something that I actually love to do! But what is it?

Sifting through my childhood, the only things that made me happy, apart from playing games and being active, was my love for books. I enjoyed school, in spite of challenges I faced being the odd kid, and learning opened a world of endless possibilities! There was something new to learn every day, something exciting, exotic, scary and also gross! And books were my escape.

From the Dick and Jane series to Enid Blyton's treasures in my childhood, to Nancy Drew and then later, Mills & Boon romance (yuck! now that I think about it), oh how I loved the worlds I was able to enter from one book to the next.

From this love sprouted a desire to create my own world of make-believe... and while some would act this out, I was better suited to writing down my thoughts, dreams and fantasies. Of course, there was the odd story-telling competition which I'd won back in school, but I was (and still am) too shy to let my body express the way I would tell a tale.

I've been writing ever since, but it was more for myself than anyone else. Perhaps it's time to test the waters to see if the world shares my thoughts, words and ideas.

Insomniac?? Me??

I can't sleep.

It's 340am on a sunday, I am supposed to wake up at 0630hrs to get ready for church, and I'm still up.

I tried to sleep, but you know what happens when you overthink it - in this case, thinking hard about sleeping - you can't do it, especially when it comes to slumber!

I've been in bed since midnight and here I am, still awake. I never had this problem until I was hospitalized about two weeks ago. I guess, now that I'm getting enough rest, there's been no lack of sleep, as is usually the case when I'm working 5 days a week.

I'm going to shut down my laptop now, say my prayers, and drift off, without thinking about it.

Otherwise, I'll just join my mother in the living room, and watch Germany fight for third place in the World Cup. GO GERMANY!!

Of Screws and Stitches and Everything in Between...

A week ago, I went under the knife.

In my previous entry, I mentioned a plate and four screws that were discovered in my left leg when the doctor had x-rays done on both my legs. He scheduled my surgery for June 29 to remove the "implants" as they're referred to by the hospital people, as one of the screws looked to be impinging on a nerve.

The day came, and I had to admit myself at 8am. Half an hour later, I was shown to my bed in the women's ward. My folks, who were with me through the admission process, left half an hour later to return in the evening.

I was nervous about the operation. I knew it was a simple procedure, but being cut open at 5 years of age is different when one is 30-something years old. You become more aware of what's about to take place, and I couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

For one thing, I was alone when they prepared me just before the surgery. A couple of nurses came in to see me every ten minutes - to collect my blood, run blood pressure tests and also had me pee in a cup! I was then presented with the dreaded hospital gown, with instructions to remove all my underwear plus any jewelry I had on me. Believe me when I say there is no dignity in donning a hospital gown! My doctor then paid me a visit and briefed me on what would be done while in the OR. By this time it was 1030am, and my surgery wasn't until 2pm, so I tried to relax my thoughts by reading and listening to some music.

But fifteen minutes later, two nurses wheel in a bed and ask me to jump onto it, as they were taking me to the operating room. Needless to say, I was nervous. Removing the sarong I was wearing to conceal myself from the waist down, I propped onto the bed, and received an injection in the bum.

That trip to the operating room felt like the longest of my life! Here, I was "parked" just outside the OR while one of the doctors asked me some procedural questions. Then the anesthesiologist asked me if I was allergic to any medication and explained what would be given to me post-op, for any pain I may experience.

I was then left alone to panic for a few minutes! What was wrong with me? It wasn't like I was going for open heart surgery, for goodness' sake! I wished I hadn't sent my mum home so soon! By the time I pulled myself together, the doors of the operating room opened and I was wheeled into it, then was asked to move myself on to the operating 'table'. The last things I remembered were an IV being placed through my left hand and a wire with a clip placed on my right index finger to monitor my heart rate. And just like it was in the movies, an oxygen mask was placed over my nose and mouth to breathe. I was out by my third breath.

Before I knew it, I woke up drowsy, but aware that the surgery was over... and had drifted in and out of consciousness as I waited to be transported back into my bed and wheeled into my room. But I wasn't allowed to drift off into sleep yet as the anesthesiologist paid me a visit to check my pain levels.

It was another hour before my doctor paid me a visit after the surgery to tell me that he couldn't remove fhe screws! Well duh, doc! It's been more than 20 years that those babies have been in there, they're very much a part of my tibia! Fearing he had cracked the tibia, he put my leg in a cast and I was taken the next day to the Xray department to check out the extent of any damage he was concerned he had caused from trying to dislodge the screws. That meant I had to stay one more night.

It was a nightmare staying in the hospital, mainly because I refused to use a bedpan and had the nurses' help to get me to the toilet in a wheelchair because of the cast. Still I'd much rather clean up after my self than get those poor nurses to do it for me. I was adamant about being as independent as possible. I also slept a lot and didn't have much of an appetite, until my family had visited me.

The following day, I was taken to get X-rays done, and an hour later, the doc returned with the results. There were no cracks, thank goodness, so I could go home without the cast and be on crutches for a couple of weeks. On the day I was to be discharged, I was taken to the physiotherapy room to learn how to use the crutches.

It's been a week since my surgery. I've got one more week before I start walking normally again. I feel so much better now than I was a week ago. My family's been taking care of me since I got home. But the last two days, I've been getting my own glass of water and moving as much as I can so I don't lose the strength in my left leg.

I know that my knees will need to be replaced eventually, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let that happen. It's up to me to lose the weight so my knees don't suffer.

My doctor has been good to me, and I'm glad I chose him to tell me what's wrong with me and what needs to be done. I'm looking forward to September... I can go back to my workouts and being serious about losing weight.

For now, I'm just preparing to walk without the aid of the crutches. And living a better life.