perspective from my simple life

Day 1 Project after exam

2012-02-05T20:34:00.002+08:00

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like” –Will Smith
_________________________
The temperature outside is chillier when its not snowing, its also quite dangerous to walk out, since it's slippery everywhere, and so the city is more deserted than usual, I think everyone are indoors. However, I took the opportunity to walk around on the melting snow yesterday and played snowball with my friend's daughter.

It was quite a joyful day for me yesterday, as I managed to make to 2 things I've been wanting to try to make after exams. Thanks to this 2 recipe sites, I managed to make Bak kwa and Karipap on my own for the first time.

This are the results, and the sites where I got the recipes from- it is so easy to follow, you can do the same too.

Bak Kwa

DIY Bak Kwa recipe from Soy and Pepper blog

Karipap pusing

DIY Karipap from My Asian Kitchen blog

Carpe diem!

Inspirational quotes and answers

2012-01-30T01:28:00.006+08:00

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=232510686834035&set=a.151214718296966.38943.151206238297814&type=1&theater

For more sources of Inspirational quotes, visit this link

10 things about Malaysia

2012-01-26T04:25:00.002+08:00

I think this is about time I write something about my country of origin. Everytime I introduce myself as a Malaysian to my European friends, most give me that wide-eyed, blurred look. Sometimes they cringe their eyes trying to think of anything they know about Malaysia. Hence, I shall write 10 things about Malaysia which I like to share about Malaysia, from my point of view, not touching on any political issues. (The arrangement of descriptions are done randomly, hence the order of numbering does not indicate any order of priority.)

1. Religion/Race/Culture

Some people presume I am Muslim, by virtue of Malaysia being a Muslim country. Eventhough Islam is the national religion of the country, the Constitution provides for freedom of religion to all Malaysians. Perhaps the confusion is also attributed to the fact that there are three (predominantly) different races, namely, Chinese, Malay and Indian. It could be confusing for foreigners when one introduces themselves as i.e. -Chinese Malaysian, instead of just 'Malaysian'. Hence, the 1Malaysia concept in my perception is a good move forward to assimilate the differences, it's a symbol of a common identity that we all share, regardless of race and religion- that we stand as one, as Malaysians. Due to the different races and religions that co-exist harmoniously in Malaysia (since our independence in 1957), Malaysia is well-endowed with beautiful and colorful cultures and heritage to boot.

Source: http://calyss.blogspot.com/

I like to describe Malaysia as a colorful country- this is true and prevalent in all aspects, and as such, the 'Malaysia, Truly Asia' slogan befits Malaysia more than any other Asian countries.

2. Language spoken

Even though Bahasa Melayu aka (Malay language) is the official language of the country, most Malaysians really speak 'Manglish', which is our very own version of English. In my view, this is simply translated to the broken Queen's English. Below are few examples of what I mean

Got or not? spoken is rising tone means Did that happen? or Do you have it?

Where got? spoken in rising exclamation means No such thing or I don't believe you

Sure ah? spoken in rising question tone means Are you sure?

Source: Wikipedia

So, if you're not used to this, please don't take us Malaysians as a bunch of crude people, the above means no harm, its simply the way we speak, no offence intended.

3. Landmarks

Frankly, I am puzzled why many foreigners I met on the plane only transit pass Malaysia, to get to either Indonesia or Thailand. It's such a pity Malaysia is just a stop-over, when it is equally (if not better!) as a tourism spot- it's got much to boost for here. We have the tallest twin towers in the world, and this skyscraper is definitely a reason to visit Malaysia.

Lo and behold the magnificent towers

PETRONAS Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

Source: best-moviedownload.blogspot.com

The skyscraper is such a state of the art building that the Hollywood film 'Entrapment' was shot here.

Vibrant colours of Malaysia

Royal Military College, Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur

Our very own city among the clouds- Genting Highlands themepark which has something to offer to young or old people alike. It is the place to be for families or just friends. Only about an hour plus drive away from Kuala Lumpur, and you're in a totally different dimension.

White sandy beaches, for honeymoon.

Manukan Island, Sabah

the magnificent Court of Justice, Putrajaya

Tugu Negara, our National Monument, Kuala Lumpur

4. Economy

Malaysia came to limelight in the world's eyes when it became the only Asian country that refused to take the IMF loan following the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 that shook the economic landscapes in the Asian region. More than a decade down the road, Malaysia's economy is now setting its path on the way to the status of a developed nation by 2020. At the moment, this drive is led by the Government Transformation Programme (GTP for short) which aims to attract foreign direct investments in the identified key strategic areas.

Source: http://voyager8.blogspot.com/2010/01/malaysia-government-transformation.html

5. Famous Malaysians

The most well-known Malaysian would probably be Ipoh-born, Michelle Yeoh who acted in Hollywood films like Crouching Tigers, Memoirs of a Geisha, and was a Bond girl in the 90s. We are now anticipating the latest film that she stars in as Aung San Suu Kyii in 'The Lady', which is directed by a world-renowned film director, Luc Besson.

In the sports arena, we have a squash world-champion, Nicol Anne David

Source: www.thestar.com.my

6. Constitutional Monarchy system

Malaysia, like England, has a constitutional monarchy with an elected monach we call the 'Yang di-Pertuan Agong' (His Majesty/the Sultan) as the head of state. They are elected (for a 5-year term) out of the NINE kings of the Malay states. So, I really don't see the fuss they're making in England- if there are those against one royal family,.in contrast, we have 9 kings.

7. FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

In Malaysia, we have the capability of eating countless times a day. Food is something you see everywhere, at the streets, the mall, meeting rooms and etc. Somehow, we always come up with a reason to eat, at anytime of the day. Now that I am in Belgium, I miss the accessibility of food., Over here, I only see food outdoors during festivals and carnivals. I guess foreigners that visit Malaysia must think that our festivals are all-year round. The best food are the local Malaysian food (so good to the last bite/drop). But keep eating for 5 times a day and mixing that up with fast-food (that's growing like mushroom now), and we're right on our path to obesity... That's why we are experts at mixing different food for different meals- once in awhile, we go for Chinese, then the next day, we may feel like having roti canai (aka paratha), and perhaps in the afternoon, some good old kerepok lekor (fish cracker/fried fish paste) with thai chili sauce that goes with heart-warming 'teh tarik' (milk tea).

Myriad of Malaysian local delights

8. "Now everyone can fly"

One look at the title and logo, and we know it for its cheap fares, and ravishing ~~models~~ stewardess.

Source: http://modernmarketingjapan.blogspot.com/2010/11/air-asia-announces-14000-169-flights.html

The story of how Tony ~~Branson~~ Fernandez (our rendition of Sir Richard Branson) turned a small budget airlines from flying to local states to Asian countries, and now Australia, the UK, New Zealand, France and etc, I only wonder where else they will fly to. This is not only enjoyed by Malaysians, but also many foreign tourists alike. Ask any backpacker traveller in Asia, and they've all heard about Air Asia before.

9. Shopping Paradise

My teacher used to joke that when Singaporeans (our rich neighbours) visit Malaysia, it's like birds flocking to Malaysia, cos everything is 'Cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap' for them. But I cannot blame them, as everytime I visit the mall (there's one 5 minutes-walk from where I worked) the sales banner never seem to go-off.

Source: http://adsvietpro.blogspot.com/2011/08/shopping-paradise-in-malaysia_18.html

10. Weather

It is 365-days summer a year, which is why tourists come flocking to Malaysia to get some tan. However, when it rains, be prepared for stormy weather, and traffic congestion. Rain in the UK or Europe thusfar is only a drizzle for me, but one cannot get far without an umbrella on a rainy day in Malaysia.

There are no perfect democracies in the world, and at the end of the day, it really boils down to the leaders and citizens of the countries that make up for the country's perception and reaction towards it. Despite the political bickering and turmoils, I am proud that this country is a peaceful and harmonious country, driven by growth and ambitions. I believe if all do what they are best at, Vision 2020 is not too far away, and is within reach. Which other country in the world is as unique as Malaysia- with multi-cultural races, where everyone treats each other like family, and most importantly, there's no place like home in Malaysia.

simply simple

2012-01-25T07:29:00.000+08:00

Healthy lifestyle

2012-01-24T07:36:00.001+08:00

One of my goal for this year in the process for growth is to lead a healthier lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I have been eating like a pig (even though I can if I want to) everyday, it's simply that there are times -

I have succumbed to emotional eating -eating when I am happy, sad, frustrated
Big family gatherings/celebrations (worse, is when we go for buffets- Gawd, we turn into carnivores that's been deprived of food)
Just for the sake of eating- when I walk pass a shop- and spot 'wow, that looks yummy, shall we?'
.... many more occasions I cannot recall now.

Anyhow, as I am having exams now, I realised how much junk aka rubbish have I consumed. At the benefit of my pleasure, but the cost of my body. I think if April (my fitness guru in Malaysia :p) would scorn at me if she sees the stash of junk food. What more, my family just visited in December, and yes, I did ask for some snacks from home but I did not expect a whole suitcase of snacks alone for me. Boy, can you imagine, ever since that day, I have been munching away like a greedy fool. It's the analogy of a little kid surrounded by so much candy that he eats and eats and eats - because its there. Ta-da!..

But since I've decided to now try to take charge and control of myself in this aspect, I decided to finally sign up for a fitness-check account. I always thought that this kind of things are too time-consuming and therefore would be a futile exercise. However, am I pleased to say that it's so easy to use it, and it ain't time consuming at all, in fact, it took me about 10 minutes to sign up, and then understand how to use it- and now, I spend about 5 minutes each day just to update my food intake and exercise journal to see what I need to do to achieve a particular weight target. I think April can now be pleased of me :)) Everything is there in the log book- for instance, when you key in 'rice'- it will automatically appear, with all the calories calculation and all- which means all I need to do is to key in what I eat, and they will do the calculation based on age/weight and height- your metabolism rate, and what needs to be done. So, when you're not eating enough, they will also warn you- to eat some 'fat', as your body needs to burn something. Best explained by my friend, Tasha -

Eat Fat to Lose Fat.

"Don’t avoid fat. In fact, eat more fat. But eat the right types of fat. I find that drinking milk in the morning whether in the form of ‘teh tarik’ or plain white milk help control my appetite throughout the day. It helps me stay full until lunchtime and avoid mid-morning snacking. In fact, chocolate milk is recommended as the best post-workout snack because of its high-protein content. It’s also a nice treat for yourself" -Natasha Haqim

And i.e. even physical activities as brisk walking is in their database- so, it will calculate how much calories you need to gain or lose to achieve your goal. I am quite pleased with the discovery of this site, so I wish to share here, in case you don't know about it yet. It can also be downloaded to your iphones/blackberry/etc all the gadgets, I suppose. Heck, this days, everything is downloadable anywhere and anytime, makes life easy.

Having signed up for this account about 2 days back, I am now more aware of how much calories there are in my intakes- so I consciously try to avoid those fattening/unhealthy ones, or high in calories- i.e. all softdrinks, sweets, snacks, and typical Belgian food, I'm afraid. (fries, fries, fries.-btw, French fries actually originated from Belgium, somehow the French got credits for that, according to the Belgians). Frituur (aka fried stuff restaurants) are just a few blocks away from here- in fact, they have it everywhere, if you visit Belgium, you'd think that its their staple food. Which house here does not have a deep fryer probably are the foreigners. As for me, as I live with my in-laws, yep, we have one in the kitchen, which we do use once in awhile (not too often now that I live here too- as I cook other stuff).

Nevertheless, having said all the above, I'm not implying that eating food with alot of calories is good or bad- in fact, it's important to saveur and enjoy the food you eat, i.e. when you go fine-dining. I think it's important that we are pleased with what we eat, and whether the type of food is 'right' or 'wrong' is subjective- depending on one's lifestyle/needs/wants/perspectives.

Carpe diem!

Enter the year of the Dragon

2012-01-22T22:09:00.000+08:00

I was born in the year of rabbit, which was just last year, but many events took place in 2011, serves as a reminder how important it is to value what I have. On 11 March 2011 last year, the world witnessed how a 15 meter tsunami wreaked the city of Fukushima and swallowed lives. Who would have known the tectonic plates underneath the sea would have moved to such an extent- aggravating the sea's wrath? I know for one, I was then (and still is everytime I think of it) struck by the disaster, as I read each day in the news, not only for the ones who died, but also the ones who had to evacuate and forced to face the cold and put up together in camps what not. And despite that all, the Japanese handled the situation remarkably well under control. If there's one laudable trait of the Japanese- that would be their highly-courteous lifestyle, and sincerity. My parents still speak of the days when we just arrived in Japan for 2 years in the middle of winter and how some kind Japanese community came to help out a young mum who had four young kids with her then- despite not knowing us well. The moral of the story here is manifold but I will only mention 2 here - 1) Life is unpredictable, who would know it will be your last? Thus, the best we can do, is to live in gratitude. 2) Courtesy is the way of life, forget how materialistic the world is changing into, we still need this value to survive to our future generation, so let's remember to be simply courteous.

The gift of giving
A simple value of 'sincere giving' without expecting anything in return, slowly becoming a long lost value in other parts of the world. I think the 2 years in Japan may have inadvertently inculcated some of the spirit of helping where I can naturally to people I see- but only if, the receiving end reciprocates by accepting my help. Sometimes, people accept the help gratefully, sometimes, they give a suspicious look, perhaps contemplating if I were going to jump out on them and rob them off. In my view, the simple act of giving is a very sincere gesture- it need not be expensive in value, the act of giving can be something as simple as offering your help to guide someone else to their destination. This act of kindness is guaranteed to bring you a jot of happiness too, when you see the genuine smile on their faces. One of my friend back then used to always go out with a small snack in her bag- be it fruit/chocolate bars or muesli bars, and when she passes by a beggar, she drops one into their hat. It's a thoughtful trick in case you don't have cash with you around.

Kindness is a two way street?
Sometimes, I think that people deliberately refuse to accept help because they are afraid of feeling 'indebted' to the other person. They are afraid that if someone is kind to them, that they have to be kind with the other person too. The problem with today's society is, we're generally more consumed with materialism and self-centredness that everything has to center around one's universe. Funnily enough, this is mostly true with wealthy people, they seem to be afraid of accepting help from others, maybe they fear that the other person expect some monetary benefit from them, which represses them (in general, not all) from being nice to the one less well-off than them. In my view, we have to go to the basics- and remember that sometimes, all it takes as kindness in return is a genuine heart-felt thanks and a smile. To one that is used to measuring everything in monetary sense, they would probably be puzzled by such an act, but a smile really does something good for the soul. Perhaps if this is not well explained enough, take Simon Sinek's explanation for instance- when you donate to the beggar, almost instantly after, you feel a sense of satisfaction- that's because you feel as if you've earned it, in return for goodwill. An amazing story on kindness reminds me of a story I once read before - on the 'Victim that treats his mugger right', which is a highly recommended story.

"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world." Julio Diaz

The Western Financial Crisis
In 2011, we also witnessed the ugly impact of the collapse of Lehman take its toll on the European countries, beginning with the United Kingdom, and slowly, like a deck of dominoes, escalated to the PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain). But unlike how most ordinary joes on the street here think, the crisis is not just caused by the crisis that started out in the US. Many people blame the cause of the crisis to greed, and some even associate this to the failures of capitalism, the free market. Hence, the reactive response is to re-regulate, bring the government in etc. However, this response is a dangerous route, as it doesn't tackle the root of the crisis- which is caused by a collective failure of BOTH governments and markets by not having in place adequate risk assessment. So, when the music stopped, everyone scramble looking for the cause or something to blame. Although the media has been informative, it has also played the culprit role to associating 'Euro' with the word crisis now. It causes negative sentiment, confidence plunges down, rating agencies go full-speed ahead with their 'opinions' and etc. I feel that the truth has all been so concocted with mixture of exaggeration that we probably misinterpret the reality to a detrimental extent. How about a dash of the truth on the other side- how about the fact that the rating agencies rated Iceland bonds AAA even before it was on its verge of bankruptcy? How about AIG's AAA ratings before it had to be bailed out by taxpayers' money? As for the transatlantic impact of the crisis on the PIGS, there are other factors to this too- the problem is not entirely with the Euro alone. Structural reforms long over-due and lack of fiscal coordination. To have an economic and monetary union, for 17 different countries with different structural form in its economy and different fiscal appetite, probably saw this coming, but - one usually only learns the lesson when something goes wrong. So, from the time of the monetary union, without fixing first the structural reforms, it was ticking bomb, a balloon waiting to explode. All it took was the collapse of Lehman in the US to pull the trigger here. We don't see the balance sheets and the documentations, but with globalisation and increasing cross-border activities, all this banks have become so interconnected that when one fails, it spills over to the other. So, you may ask now, who's fault was the crisis? My view is that this is a mixture of twist of events- but the one trait that I would point to would be 'greed'.

European Union getting out of the crisis
Many things have to be corrected now, the only good thing out of a crisis is that, this is an opportunity to address the risk and to address the shortcomings in the system. If it's me, I would not blame this as the European Union (EU)'s failure in its institutional framework. I think more and more now, it's important that the EU countries make decisions together in a common spirit. The real problem kicks in when one of the member state of the EU takes a narrow decision in protecting its nationalistic interest. More than ever, the EU has to try to bring the leaders of the EU countries together and remind them of the recognition it has to have of each other- like it or not, reaping the benefits and success of the single market comes with a price tag- when it comes to footing the bill, they should not evade this responsibility. To effectively get out of this crisis, the EU countries should commit to the fiscal discipline enshrined in the treaty (agreement) that binds them together and make decisions, taking into account the interest of the EU as a whole. At this level of integration, an isolated, nationalistic decision will impact on the entire bloc. Case studies of how Dexia and Fortis were dealt with shows that the move towards a European economic governance is an inevitable process. Governance would have to be strengthened at all levels, from bottom to up. The ones that manages the banks must be accountable to their stakeholders and take responsible decisions. Having said that, positive initiatives has been taken up for instance the establishment of an European Banking Authority and European Systemic Risk Board were set up to see a more coordinated and uniform banking practice and risk identification in the EU in January 2011.

Nevertheless, the Financial Crisis that erupted in 2009 is far from over in Europe. We're yet to see what will take place.

What can we ordinary citizens do?
At individual level, I think it's pertinent to lead a simple life and to do so by just spending on what is necessary. Especially in times of uncertainty as this in Europe, its time to have some money in the bank for the rainy days and not live paycheck to paycheck. Start by having about 10% of savings from wage, and slowly increase to 20%. In this sense, perhaps the west can learn a thing or two from the east- to be a little more thrifty in their way of life and to restrain from swiping their debit cards as fast as the money comes in. It's always good to have a buffer in the account and to live within means.

Victory for Democracy
In 2011, we also witnessed deaths of several tyrants- Kim Jong-il, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and Gaddafi. Though there are few things that needs to be reformed in Malaysia, back at home, we witnessed the end of the infamous Anwar Ibrahim's trial, as he is acquitted of his sodomy charges. I do agree that freedom of speech anywhere as a basic right should be respected, however, I think it's always forgotten that such freedoms are not absolute. In exercising your freedom of speech, its important to use it with a dash of common sense, and not blindly protest.

Personally, I feel that freedom of speech can be improved in Asian countries, but in Europe, I think the freedom of speech is a little bit too much. People go on strikes here, at the expense of productivity and I have even heard of people admitting and confessing that they only join the strikes to get away from work and just for the fun of it. I think at some point, lines have to be drawn, when and where you can do such things. How many countless times have we heard of people missing their flights in Europe because of protests at the airports?

This is truly ironic, as the channels for citizens to voice their rights or views are there- through their national governments/regional authorities etc. Heck, even the Treaty of European Union enshrines the 'citizens' initiative rights'. You want representative democracy? You've got it.

,.. But life goes on,.
So some dramas in 2011 ended there, some carried forward to this year. But life goes on, we carry on with our lives despite all the noises and etc. I think a positive highlight for 2012 would be the Olympic Games in London. If you live in London, and wish to be part of it, why not volunteer yourself or sign up for a summer job as part of the organising committee? Could be one of your to-do list this year? I am also looking forward to the film 'The Lady' on the life of Aung San Suu Kyi, acted by Michelle Yeoh, a Malaysian.

We're now in the Year of the Dragon
My brother was born in the year of the dragon, in 1988. True to the traits of a dragon, he is self-confident, can be fiery if he wants to, and strong-willed. Unlike the rest among the siblings, he has a natural inclination to learn and pick up new skills. But, as easy it is to claim that he is more talented than the rest would not be fair as well, since he does put in alot of effort to reach his aims. He never went for any piano lessons before, and yet, he self-taught himself piano and is now able to read and play difficult pieces on his own. He tirelessly tries and practises until the act is perfected. As a pilot, he continuously reads his manuals and updates to sharpen his saw. In fact, in my lifetime, I have never seen him slack at all. He even turns his hobbies of watching Korean dramas and Japanese Animes into beneficial activities- believe it or not, he can speak very fluent Japanese and a little bit of Korean. His traits are remarkable, he doesn't think too much, he just does what needs to be done. He shows that there is no easy way out, only hardwork and determination gets you to your destination.

For me, entering the 5th month in Belgium to be with my husband, I am now income-less, as I am not working. I am back to being a student, which is quite a liberating experience. I love student life, especially in such a close-knitted class of 27 students in my LLM program. However, to be honest, it does bug me not to have my own money, not to have the full autonomy over having my own to spend. I miss the sense of independence I had when I had my own income to spend. That's why I seek simple pleasures in life now, no more eating outs, or too much shopping. My husband and I try to find pleasure in visiting other cities and towns just for sight-seeing, or just bringing the dogs out for a walk.

Chinese New Year
Last year, I celebrated Chinese New Year (CNY) for the first time with my family in law. (I chose to visit at CNY as I had 3 weeks of break, with only 10 days of official leave from work, due to combination with public holidays in Malaysia then.) However, this year, CNY will be a quiet one, as my parents in law have gone somewhere together for a holiday and I am having an exam on the 25th. Perhaps when they are all back here, we can have a nice meal together. For me, growing up, I have always looked forward to CNY. It's the time that I meet up with all my 20 plus cousins and relatives in my mother's hometown in Malacca. We do the same thing each year- all the families gather and play cards together, catch up on things and etc. Words cannot describe what a colourful and joyous celebration CNYs are for my family. I miss that now.

I guess I have to make my own CNY here then. Till then, a very happy CNY to my dearest family and friends that read my blog, where ever you are.

Credit photo: http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Chinese%20New%20Year.htm

“Tis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly.” 'Eat, Pray, Love', ― Elizabeth Gilbert

Think twice about finding the Right work

2012-01-21T19:26:00.001+08:00

Do you sometimes hear this inexplicable and ambiguous feeling in your head, doubting whether that you're on the right path? For the times that this small voice creeps into my head, this story below reminds me of the importance in believing and making it right in what you do, rather than trying to endlessly try to find the right thing. Unless, you really have a clear,visual game plan in your head that you can execute, of course. Cal Newport shares this story of a man who took the extra miles in search for that 'Answer', but in fact, it was just around the corner.

"For years, Thomas had imagined living at a monastery to be the “zenith” of his passions — in his fantasies, it held the magical qualities that all his previous jobs lacked. But once he arrived at the Zen Mountain Monastery, he realized that although his surroundings had changed, he was “exactly the same person.” The thought patterns that had caused his previous unhappiness — like and dislikes; anxieties, boredoms and fantasies — had not magically disappeared.

At first, Thomas’ realization “that there was nowhere else to run to,” plunged him into despair. The organizing structure of working life, that there was a magical “right” occupation waiting out there to be discovered, had crumbled.

But armed with the tools of self-awareness honed in his Zen practice, he was eventually able to move beyond the despair and toward an important discovery about his relationship to work: “I realized at a very deep level that most of the time it is not the job that is the problem, but me.”

Zen and the Art of Investment Banking: When Working Right is More Important than Finding the Right Work

So, don't think of quitting your dayjob to pursue what you think you might like to do. Sometimes, what you think you'd like to do, may not eventually turn out to be as ideal as you played it in your head. Hence, if you need to discover yourself, take a break to do that. And think about your future seriously by plunging into the path not taken, and see if you do like it as much as it sounded in your mind. If it ain't your cup of tea afterall, go back to work. You can still live your passion out of your workhours- it's all about time management and making things work. More so if you deliberately plan your time well enough to avoid the pitfalls of Q3 and Q4, you'd be surprised that you can afterall, accomplish all that you need to do. The 4 quadrants of activities are as illustrated below by the site -Keener Living

Before you pull the trigger and let go of everything that you have in your hands now, think of how you can improve the situation first rather than jumping into another ocean of the unknown. Meanwhile, study that 'ocean' first, bit by bit, get more acquainted with it, until you're comfortable enough that the coast is clear for you to sail to your path.

Picture source: http://www.aplusjokes.com/gallery1/worstjob.jpg

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. -Carl Jung

2012.

2012-01-20T19:12:00.000+08:00

Firstly, 2011 ended well, my husband and I had the pleasure of having my parents and my sister here for Christmas. Had a wonderful time as a family together.

Love one another and laugh out loud together as a family.

For family inspirational ideas- click here for more

_________________________________________________________
I know I am 20 days late- but here's a Happy New Year to my dearest friends and family that visit this blog now and then to check up on how I am doing. Good news is, I have many things to share in this site, in case it comes in handy to me in future, or to you, now.

The cute little rabbit: 'Happy New Year,.. but, do you have a resolution for 2012?'

2011 came and went-by, and as we know it, it's already 20 days into 2012. Many things will just come and pass, if I don't take control of my life. I will merely 'sleepwalk' through life, not learning anything from past experiences. This year, will be my year of 'awakening'. It's time I get to know myself, discover and confront my fears and delimiting thoughts. So, this year, my aim is mainly to grow on a positive scale. Step-by-step, plan-by-plan until it grows into a habit for me. They say it takes on average of 3 weeks to form a habit. Through my quest for self-discovery, self-growth to eventually achieve living life consciously and purposeful, I stumbled upon several wonderful sites which I have been hooked on to for guidance. Despite having the chance to participate in the 7 habits course 2 years back, I realised that I have inadvertently wasted much time on quadrant 3 and 4 activities. I will know consciously tell myself what I have to accomplish each day, and this I find the ta-da list (which you can sign up for free), very helpful -its simple to use, and the best part is, because it is online, you can access it from anywhere and 'tick-off' what you have done.

For each day since I've started using the list, I have on it a reminder to update my personal journal- a challenge I am giving myself to be more self-aware, each passing day. I find each question each day put me to thinking hard about what I really want in life, and where I want to head to. So, for this 21 days, I am giving up facebook in return for more time spent on my journey to growth by spending time on my 21DaysJournalingChallenge (21DJC) quest. I am excited now, as I have a clear project in my mind for my after exams to-do list. First, to give myself visual reminders each day by printing out positive manifestos, made by Celestina Chua, who's touched and inspired many people's life- in her pursuit of her passion. And while you're at that, you should check out her site, she offers very useful life insights.

As a start, I begin this journey by giving myself an honest self-evaluation of where I stand. This simply begins with plotting your wheel of life (click here for a sample- which is Tina's wheel of life) to see where you intend to improve on. Stumbling upon Tina's Think Simple Now blog are one of the best discoveries I've made online.

In pursuit of self-discovery and growth this year, I am starting by being thankful to God each day, beginning in the morning and the last thing before I go to bed. I will try my best to sleep early to rise up early for a good head start each day, and get more out of life. I want to stop rushing and running for things, and yet have time to do everything I have to such as -15 minutes each for French and Dutch each day, 15-20 minutes of exercise (who said exercise must be outdoors- you can exercise anywhere in your house-especially for those busy mummies), remind myself to not succumb to emotional eating by having healthy meals (stop snacking) and start living the happy life. Instead of dwelling on what frustrate myself, I must learn to let go, filter all the negativity and remind myself that things happen for a reason, and often enough it takes alot of patience to see the connecting dots- as it usually does not happen instantly.

I would like to write more, but only as I improve in writing. I have a self-awareness that I don't write flawlessly and wittily, so that's one of my goals this year- to be a better writer, and improve in faith.

- Live simply. Be grateful. Act kindly. -

"Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs." -Stephen Covey

ups and downs

2011-12-10T08:18:00.001+08:00

No matter how much we truly wish for something to turn out for ourselves, even when we're not sure exactly what that is, there will always be something that one can't help as things do go wrong at times. With or without our control. This is what we call 'circumstances', which is not within our control. However, how we react to it is definitely under our control. So, when something doesn't turn out as how you wish to, i.e. if your train doesn't turn up (for instance on one cold evening at 10pm in Ghent, I arrived at the station to see my destination 'Afgeschaft', and your husband happened to have the night shift- i.e. not even anyone to pick you up), yes I have to admit I panicked, and probably, it showed a tiny bit. :p But, all was well, as usual, I am not alone, others need to get back to Oostende too. Anyhow, at least that day I learnt a new dutch word- 'abolished'. hmph. who'd forget la. Cos now that I think back about it, twas a cold miserable night, I was indeed feeling a little miserable as well -__- , cos unlike most other youngsters, (don't gasp at me) I don't really listen to music on iPods, iPhones etc. I should really start bringing my earphones around, my iPad's only used as a book- been really handy that I can keep all articles in it and read on the train.

So cold here that even when I wanna go to the funfair, I must put on a coat. It's gotten much colder since then, and the size and thickness of my coat has doubled in less than a month.

Being here for almost 3 months now makes me feel more indifferent than ever to those around me. There is this negative perception amongst Caucasians here that if you look like a foreigner, not well-dressed, yes you're an immigrant, and therefore I do get awkward stares sometimes. Can't really blame them, as they actually show on tv here 'reality dramas' of those old mat salleh dudes with some young Thai/Vietnamese/Filipino girls who are probably young enough to be their grandkid (ok, maybe daughter to be fair), and how they get here, etc. So, yes, that's the general overriding perception they have. Used to feel uneasy at times those days, but now, I just pretend that nobody sees me, and that I mind my own business where ever I go. However, having said that, I must put a disclaimer that not all are like that. In fact, I've had some interesting conversations with strangers on the train before, so its not all that bad. This also reminds me that it doesn't really matter how others perceive of you, because most importantly, at the end of the day, it is what you think that determines how you feel about something. Jarratt, a friend of mine, we always have a tendency to think that others are thinking about us, that we worry about what they think of us- and more often than not, the other person is not even thinking about you!

Anyhow, as you all already know, I am finally with my hubby here. But no, not in that place in the photo. Quite the contrary actually, as it's windy, gloomy cold and miserable in Oostende. The only nice place to be is... home! with the shiny Christmas tree adorned with ornaments and lights, I am loving the warmth in this house more and more each day as it gets colder outside brrrrrrr.

I cannot believe this was only last December. Yes, last December, my husband and I went to Kota Kinabalu for our delayed honeymoon. As you can see yes, Malaysia is truly a paradise. White sandy beach, beautiful bright sky,..

so nice and warm you can just take a nap anywhere.. *that's the life man!* I wonder what was he dreaming about.

Nice pool with nice view, nice mat salleh hunk too.. *drools* hahahahahhahahaha lol.

___________________________________________________________________________

One of my best moments since I got here, was when my little bro came to visit last month :)

My brother's gift from God- his ability to sleep anywhere anytime

The pleasure of his visit here is not mine alone, apparently ^^ It was awesome having him around here.

a showcase of timeless love

2011-12-09T06:33:00.001+08:00

Whilst attempting to cleaning up some files on my hard disk, I came across some nice old photos, not too long ago, in 2010.. also that reminds me I've been married since April 2010. That makes it now nearly 2 years.. Got married in Oostende, and here I am back here once again, the only difference is I am not here as an occasional tourist this time.

yes, of course we had to feature 'de lijn' in the background. typically belgian.

thusfar in this land of frites and mussels

2011-12-07T08:59:00.001+08:00

*disclaimer to the above title- I have not had any mussels yet since I arrived, only fries, but lots and lots of them and yes, I have a weak spot for waffles.. I hope I don't become a potato-mascot soon. Anyway... Here's a quick update on what's happened thus far.

Much has happened lately in my life, settling in a new environment, learning dutch, meeting new friends from all over the world,. (much things too has happened in Europe whilst I've been here, but the most notable change since then is - that Belgium finally have a government after 535 days of being without one! hooray for Belgium for now, but much anticipation lies ahead with the critical decisive moment for the eurozone)

I am blessed to be married to such a wonderful man to be able to have such an experience; such is what I call the 'trickling down' effect. Twas difficult being physically apart for 7 months, now we're finally physically together, and for everyday that I get to be physically together makes it so worthwhile the 7 months wait - though I probably won't say the same in the moments when he is being a moron. needless to say, it is my cute little moron,. mijn liefe jongen ;)

and so,. we get to celebrate his birthday together this year!

,... with our son Sebastian Caréme... *wishful thinking* cos we don't have kids yet, though we already know their names. Sophie-May and Sebastian Caréme. ahhh.. *beams with joy at our not-yet in existence kids*

Lesson 101 to ordering pizza in italian restaurant- when you pronounce 'funghi, its fooonghi, not fung-ghee', gawd how I embarrassed my Italian friend inadvertently.. Anyways, cheers to my dutch lesson classmates, you guys' been such great company to learning dutch! wij hebben een leuke leraar,. (we have a cool teacher) - in many ways, dutch has some similarities with English, but its grammar, more akin to Germanic, is mind-boggling, and quite an inexplicable puzzle at times. Many rules of grammar to remember.. However, I absolutely enjoy learning it, as with this simple knowledge, I can get around here in dutch, though most of the time, the locals answer in English, probably suspecting from the way I construct my sentences and pronounce the words that they know I am not from around here. hm. -__- I need to work on my pronunciation in due time. Learning new things truly make me excited a notch up, until I realise that I cannot be asking or saying the same thing twice to the librarian like 'waneer is het bibliotheek gesloten vandaag'? (lol, I can't ask the librarian obliviously 'when is the library closing today?') So, my only bet to speak this language and practice this is with cute little Jayla,. its remarkable how fast she is growing now, when Vincent and I dated, she was just a cute little bundle of joy.. now she's all grown up, she says the darnedest things. Ik hou van je, schatje :)

Jayla Badu, mijn kleine, lief vriendin

,..and last but not least, my new-acquired friends, who add colors to my life here, and make my experience the more enriching.

Thanks to my Chinese pengyou's friends, I get to try different chinese tea leaves every week :) Xie xie ni, wo hen gaoxing!

self-service car wash

2011-09-23T03:39:00.001+08:00

A pretty interesting concept, where they insert 5 euro, and do everything themselves- from rinsing/washing/soaping/waxing/drying,. And it all takes less than 30 minutes! Would this concept take off in Malaysia, I don't know,. if we have such facilities, would we do it ourselves, or still prefer to send our cars for carwash? Hmph.

My diligent husband with the new car, washing it clean. ;) nice and sparkling car in less than 30 mins.

less than few hours,.

2011-09-15T18:28:00.004+08:00

in the last few weeks, what felt like forever precisely 8 months, just passed in a blink of an eye.. I've been waiting for this day, to be physically reunited with my dearest bugger all the way in Belgium, but the thought of leaving my family and friends behind, suddenly struck as a sad bargain for the other.. Needless to say, I am looking forward to start a new chapter in my life as a married woman, hopefully be a great domestic goddess, and back to school mode is on again! :)

To infinity, and beyond!

in wonder and awe of the woman with nerves of steel..

2011-08-31T01:21:00.003+08:00

If one thing that I can truly be proud of Malaysia, it's of the woman who has nerves of steel to defy the odds and circumstances to stay true and hold to her principles of sound understanding, and her unbeatable expertise at central-banking- Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz. Well-known for quoting her charisma and her strong leadership, one may wonder why a woman of such a stature and influence would quote that hers is a 'lonely job'. She has set such a high standard as a Governor, gaining recognition yet again as one of the world's best central bankers, in a job traditionally held by men. As the world goes through the financial crisis wave, she steadily leads the central bank in her calm and demure ways, unfazed and uninfluenced by the growing pressure on monetary policy-making around the world.

Proving to be of such capable and remarkable person, we have her to thank for leading the financial sector out of the dampened economic situation after the Asian Financial crisis in 1998. The role of such a leadership should not be underestimated, for we have witnessed how wrong decisions of leaders or inaction can cause slumps in the economy for a very long time,. Yes, though we have much catching up to do with countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, I think up to now, looking back, we owe where we are today, and that Malaysia is the leading country for Islamic banking and finance, owing to her vision and mission for the Bank.

I think if I were to talk and list down on all her contributions to the country, it'd be endless, and pointless, as there's so much literature out there on her life and contribution. Personally, and I think for many Bank staff, we have her to thank for the work-life balance concept, and human capital development of staff. Despite that I have never had the chance yet to speak to her personally (only shook hands during Raya), her overflowing achievement never fail to amaze us and make us look at her in such awe.. and respect.

Thank you for making things possible, and opening windows of opportunities to many people out here. You're the best role model to emulate, that we should all pursue for excellence whilst holding to principles of integrity and culture of continuous acquiring of skills and knowledge.

thursday,. the weekend is in sight!

2011-08-05T00:36:00.010+08:00

Today was my last french crash-in class.. I've been sitting in this class for a month plus now, just to revise my french, now and then when I am able to make it on Thursday nights. Let's hope I can speak some french with my parents in law soon!

She's such a la femme tres ravissante, always so jovial, happy and have much experiences to share at all times,. love the colourful class ^^

This ain't even the complete class photo, but I guess, this will do, I don't knw when I'll see you guys next again. J'ai une bonne moment avec a tous.. Quel classe!

I'm going to miss you too, Anne! Je suis tres heureusse, parce que tu es mon amie.. toujours, d'accord? Je t'embrasse!

J'espere que tu as beaucoup de la chance dans le Canada avec ton mari! :))

So many things to do in the weekend, and alotttt of catching up to do with the hubby. ^^

an adorable little monster.

2011-08-03T20:07:00.002+08:00

Contrary to the title above, (in fact, far from a monster, he's such a darling) a cute little boy walked into the dept, with a shirt that says 'This Little Monster Never Sleeps'. (talk about dressing well, I see where his sense of fashion comes from ;) Yes, I finally meet the famous Maiqel in person. Ahhh such beautiful eyes, they are to-die for!

Maiqel, is Jasmina's son (my colleague- the supermum), whom she is so fond of writing about.. Been following her entries on her son's darndest remarks, and his quite extraordinary favourite animals- species of dinosaurs and sharks. Gosh, if you ask me at that age, I probably only know 'jaws' which ain't even the proper word for sharks, and this boy who has not turned 4 yet, gave this silly aunty a tutorial on the species of dinosaurs. -__-

This boy is such an active kid, he speaks just like his mum, as he cannot stop sharing with me what he knows, and what he learnt in school. So cute, when he showed his bee dance along with his buzzing gimmick and sat on the floor (i.e. flower, as he said). When he can't sit still, he'd dance around, and confidently show his little dance and song for us, who are such suckers for his cuteness, agility and intelligence, which makes he the more adorable kid that he already is. Awww. you really stole my heart today, Maiqel. ^^ Jas, I wanna be as amazing a supermum like her someday. :)

So, he was quietly drawing his dinosaurs and sharks when Anthony told me of Maiqel making a mess with his biscuit crumbs in their unit lastime, to which this lil cute boy turned up to nod his head and cheekily admitted -'Yes, I did'. LMAO. Gosh. When I made him a crane, I expected him to say 'bird' like any other little kids would, but instead he said 'pterosaur' or something like that. I thought I heard wrongly, but boy I was wrong, he's the smart one! Flying dino, apparently! Aunty wanna *faint* d. -__- Supermum really brought you up so well! So cute when he ran up to his mummy for permission to accept (mind you, not to take, but to accept!) an offer of snacks made to him!..I'm not too sure if I were that obedient lastime *so ashamed now*, but boy, you're one great kid, Maiqel,.

Such adorable-ness and cuteness truly make my day. Awwww. ^^ Tu es tres mignon!

famille moment

2011-08-03T00:56:00.004+08:00

Yes, we ravaged through the array of food served in Gen this time.. :p Buffet aka eat all you can time is always an excuse for us to eat like there's no tomorrow to make it all worth for the amount you're paying for. i.e. about 60 per head, and that's with discount. To make ako's treat worth it (thanks ako! ^^) we stayed in the tatami room for as long as we can remember that night for an awesome family time we've all been anticipating.

In conjunction with Sako's, Boy boy's and Baby's birthday, we had an 'une bonne famille moment'

Ramadhan lights on display already, pretty effect!

abit like national monuments,. but that's men's pose ala naturel, peut-etre!

the contrast between the men and the ladies,. we're abit more easygoing,.

Anyhow, whilst I enjoy my last month eating Malaysian food as much as I can now, my dear hubby has been busy making space and clean the room to welcome me! I'm really excited at the transformation his room has gone through.. I only wish now that with an imaginary magic wand, I can adacadabra all my belongings nicely into boxes and my bags. so many things to do in the coming few more weeks, so till then. Here I come, Belgium! :)

carpe diem!

these days.

2011-07-20T15:43:00.002+08:00

Last week, I stayed longer than usual at work to get some drafting work done together with my manager., but even before last week, I've not been able to do some exercising, or when I could have, I just wasn't even in the right state of mind/mood to work it out in the gym. Hence, I've been feeling lethargic sometimes, and straying away from friends, as I allocate my lunch hours wandering about in the nearest stores to find stuff to sell in my mum's shop.

The last 2 Saturdays, I've been at the shop with her, see however ways I can help her, I get really excited at the prospect of coming up with ideas on how to get ourselves more known in that area. Last week, we organised origami class for interested children, and in weeks to come, we will think up of what else we can do, next up we're going to teach napkin folding like what you see in the restaurants.

Other than that, I've been baking now and then, but of all my baking experiments last week, my mum still prefers my first attempt at making the cake which I considered was quite a flop considering I replaced so many ingredients that i was supposed to use with some other substitutes. Imagine, I was so excited to bake after work that day that I decided to go ahead despite that many ingredients were missing. I replaced sour cream with milk, vanilla essence with rose essence, all purpose flour with wheat flour and made do with the few bananas I had. If you have the time, this cake is really easy to make, just follow this recipe on Dulce's Delight :)

To summarise it up, I've been spending most of my time with immediate family members and my aunts, speaking of which we briefly met up with my aunt and our cousins who's back in Malaysia for their summer break. Looking forward to more family time in the weekend (which goes by too fast, I'm afraid). Anyhow, just to share this very cute folklore which is in French with English subtitles, Kirikou et la sorciere (just discovered it, I want to watch more and more such cartoons. It's great for those who's learning french, or anyone looking for entertainment.

Carpe diem

il me manques

2011-07-13T16:20:00.005+08:00

First thing in the morning today, I accidentally broke the mug Vincent bought me as my graduation gift- a very cute 'i love you' mug which he wanted me to use at work,. I've been using it everyday since my day 1 at the Bank, I drink my coffee from it every morning, and everytime i look at the cute squirrel on the mug, it reminds me of how adorable he is, and how he grinned at me when he gave me the mug in 2009- 'its crisis huney, so here's your present,' lol. aish. i felt abit shaken holding that broken mug in my hand, the only thing that consoles me is the fact that I will be seeing him soon. The song's one of the first few songs he dedicated to me before, and as I listen to this song, I recall our good old romantic days.

that seed of inception,. lost in transition

2011-07-11T04:11:00.000+08:00

these days, i am more apt to the people around me and the circumstances i went through in life which has put me where i am. I notice more things about ppl which I never really paid attention to, i.e. their purpose and talent in life, and everytime i realise how that seed of ambition, desire grow in them, i get a little anxious and nervous, as here it is, another person in the world who has that seed of inception in them, knowing what step to take next, a step closer to their wants and their desires.

if we notice, there are many books these days written on 'self-discovery' and 'law of attraction'. the world that we live in, so influenced by social media has infused in our lives and 'make-belief' of so many things around us, that i sometimes find myself confused, as i begin to believe what i read or see into what i think is my perception. being malleable doesn't help me much either,. It's so easy for writers or anyone at all to say 'follow your desires' and 'visualise them as vividly as you can' bla bla bla, but if like many of the characters in the Alchemist, you're pursuing your personal legend, and then at some point in life you divert a little which then you lose sight of your real legend, whilst being in that diverted route, how do you turn back, if your desire is blurred now.

haish. i always let 'money' be the reason that holds me back from having desires or dreams, but now, when i try to write what would i do if money is indeed not an obstacle,. i cant think of any, except travelling to some countries and learn languages. but i can't do that as a living,. nor can collecting freebies sustain my life. aiseh.

so the conclusion is, for now, i am going to concentrate on my job as a central banker, and do my best at it for the next remaining 2 months.

Hans Zimmer is a brilliant composer, i feel as if my complicated personality connects with his music, as if they're made for people like me, if any.

the last week of june

2011-07-05T00:03:00.000+08:00

the last time I updated the blog was a week plus ago. Since then, there were always things to do at night after work or after class on Sunday, and I've been spending more time with my family now than with friends. Yes, that means I get to be myself and be the annoying but loving and generous sis. I knw for sure that boy boy loves to go out with me cos he knows he always gets a treat from me. ^^ Deng I will miss this fellows soon, so gotta spend as much quality time with them now. So much so, I dragged them along to the YCM's event- an evening with the PM so I'd be able to keep an eye over them while listening to the speaker talk. There were many familiar faces I saw at the event, but as time was of the essence then, I decided not to hang around till late. To my pleasant surprise, I bumped into Adibah, an old friend, who's since left the Bank, did her chambering in Zico and is now seemingly happy and bahagia-looking in Ethos, a consulting company. She caught me by surprise as she looks different, and her confidence shines through inside out now.

On Wednesday, I took my sisters out for an outing to the bookstore, and despite that I have no idea how this pic relates to our outing, as I love taking pictures, my sis have been forced to pose

,.. yea all smiles as if nothing is out of the ordinary, but alot of things happened in the period of a week, but mostly, the family's been busy with a new small business, eventhough it is a part-time business so far, we're all really excited as this is the first thing we're doing a family, and despite that its a small business now, its all got to start somewhere, I guess,.its our new milestone! :))

My mum's starting a small laundry cafe in Cahaya Permai Apartment in Seri Kembangan. As we have not found any workers as of yet, my mum has to travel there right after school at 4.30pm to start operating the business from 5.30 pm to 9pm. Anyhow, the least the rest of us can do is to help out in the weekend and think of what we can actually really sell there (cos the ideas are endless). Can't wait for the weekend to decorate the place up abit and start pasting posters and banners everywhere.

Meanwhile, the ducks at home are not doing too well,. they are still afraid of us, (even though all i do is clean the cage and feed them) and they aren't so sociable like the cool chickens, that let me caress their soft back whenever i feel like it. haish. i guess they need abit more time to get accustomed to us, and also the fact that they aren't here to end up in our cooking pots.

blissfully married!!

2011-06-25T22:27:00.006+08:00

Weddings makes me happy ^^ it's a joy to see another happy couple tie the knot and make a vow to embark on life's journey together as man and wife. Taking a that leap of faith together, and moving a step further in a relationship into life as one :)I've been looking forward to this day, and I'm very sure the blissful newly-weds feel as if today just zoomed them by,. a day which you highly anticipate, you put so much work and effort, worries and especially $$$ is now over,. and you're finally husband and wife! :) Congratulations to my dear friends, Usop and Nida,. I love the theme -yellow and grey, I can see how much thought she has put into this wedding, with the nice lanterns,. nice props, at such a beautiful place, her very own house- Damai Serendah.

Gawd, I love the pond filled with excited young koi's. Such a serene setting,. I can imagine little Usops and Nidas running around this garden of zen., but before we get to that,. we gotta congratulate this beaming Raja Seharis first. What a lovely pair,. many happy returns to both of you,. the drive all the way there was worth it to witness this beautiful matrimonial union :)

to the lovebirds -

Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry. Tom Mullen

Thanks to my co-driver aka Navigator bro, we finally got there after nearly 2 hours on the road.. damn glad we got there heheheehehehe.

aiseh this pic do no justice to the beautiful pelamin.. sorry guys.

twas an extremely gorgeous, yet modest Malay wedding,. CONGRATULATIONS to Usop and Nida, my dear friends.

My bro and I left in really good spirits, and on the way home, we caught sight of some ayam serama's on sale at the side of the road... yeaaa we pulled over,intending to buy a pair of handsome serama's but unfortunately, as we were aghast at the price we can't afford (about RM300 yo), thank goodness they sold some cute baby ducklings for RM 5 each. We took a pair of ducks to bring back to KL, as a surprise for the family.. lol, all the way home, the ducks couldn't stop chirping behind,. as much as they were nervous about where they were being brought to, our excitement was just building up.. hehehehe the DUCKS are very cute, they have a new home now, with a tiny make-shift pool for them. Welcome to the family ducklings! (our home is like a Facebook Farmville now, except that its for real. Lol, with chickens, fishes, dog and ducks. Used to have rabbits but lost them to unforeseeable circumstances.) Will post some of their photos soon.

Birthday lunch

2011-06-22T21:38:00.001+08:00

For lunch, a bunch of us went out to celebrate Jeff's birthday, before he happily leaves on a jetplane tomorrow........ It's been quite a productive albeit abit haywire for me today,.its just one of those days when everything comes in at once,. But this feeling is certainly better than not having anything on the plate, so I'm not complaining! :D

@ Monte's BSC

Happy birthday, Jeff, have a great time in London!

,.. as for all of us, life goes on as usual... might need a laugh or two from this video if you need some form of escapade for 3 mins. This video really cracked me and my siblings up. lol.

father's day ^^

2011-06-19T20:53:00.001+08:00

hehehehehe, it's fathers'day but there's more pics of us girls,. what does this say about us?

carpe diem!

la dolce vita - the sweet life :)

2011-06-18T01:00:00.002+08:00

Arrived at the Bank's resort in PD at about 5pm today, quite the perfect time to go for sight-seeing round the resort, (since the beaches in PD's not really a sight to look at :p) I am quite impressed with this place, it's just nice and cosy, and it has this sense of exclusivity to the area,. it's neither too far nor too near from KL, so it's the perfect escapade for the weekend if you're looking for a place to get-away from the hustles and bustles of the city. On my way here, I was re-reading 'Eat Pray Love', and noticed there were things I didn't pick up the first time round reading it back then.. When I first read books, I tend to read it in such a hurry for the curiosity to know the ending to it,. but since I know the storyline, this time round is to revisit those memorable quotes and anecdotes on life from the book.

What's so interesting about this book is that it touches on life in general, bt Elizabeth Gilber presents it in such a witty manner that it truly engages the readers and allows us to relate and connect to the character in the story. It's the perfect book for a get-away weekend like this, where you are close to nature and the serene surrounding, this book makes you appreciate enjoying the moment- and sometimes, it takes nothing to do just that. The beauty of doing nothing. :)

We, the excited bunch of Liaison officers explored the whole ground this evening when we got here.. don't be fooled by the photos, these smiles only came out after scavenging for food.. :)

Though the beach ain't quite a sight, I guess the sheer joy of being away from the city did its magic on us.

yep, its wise to stick to the pool!

such a serene and calm setting....

,... not till we jumped into the pool to disrupt the peace and quiet hehehehehe.

Yours truly smiling from ear to ear at the prospect of this weekend with friends away from KL :)

Carpe diem!