Holiday's over

I go back to work tomorrow after Bali and a few days at home.

The first flight they have to give me is a flight that is soooooo... undesirable. It's like going back to school after summer holidays and the first lesson is History with an incredibly ugly teacher.

I want to continue with my holidays. This place looks incredible, no?

Glacier National Park, Hjelle, Norway.

Revelation?

As I sat on the throne battling a tummy ache, a thought struck and shocked me.

It started with me thinking about this episode I saw in a TV programme that was discussing how daughters are usually very close to their fathers because "a daughter is her father's past life's lover." I googled and of course it turns out to be a pretty well-known myth and how much you choose to believe in that also depends on religion.

That together with what the monk said and what someone else said.....
I think it's revealed.

JAW DROPS.

Early morning wake up call

This year of the dragon is pretty good for the ox. They say there will be many 'gui ren' or people who help (maybe you can think of it as guardian angels) in the life of the oxen this year.

It's only the 8th day today and have I had many!

Speaking to Elaine today enlightened me on many things, especially on something related to the words of the monk yesterday.

I am so blessed that as I walk this path in life, people at the side are pushing me away from getting off track and helping me get to my destination instead.

This year will be fabulous.

Guardian angels

Today mum, Lynn and I sat down to chat with a monk whom my mum's family have known for decades.

The situation was out of ordinary. Shifu had actually set up a table with a tea-pot and 4 tea cups for us. He invited us to sit down for tea.

And then he dropped the bomb on me. Reminded me something someone had told me before.
All of us were like :-O

I don't know why but I know - for sure - someone up there is looking after me.

I must remember today's advise given by the Master. Trust your heart. Don't look for it using your eyes. Look for it with your heart.

"Cool"

Yesterday while waiting for our transport to send us to the airport at Bali, my family and aunts went shopping at the shopping street in Seminyak.

The weather was scorching hot and none of us were comfortable in that weather.

My Tah-Ku (dad's sister) came up to me and asked if I wanted orange juice. She said it was from the fridge in the villa that was taken out a few hours ago.
I was most relieved to hear that there's something refreshing to quench the thirst so I said, "Cool!"
Her reply: "'Mei you (Not) cool de lah...'" ("Not cool one la...")

I tried so hard to suppress my laughter so I turned to mum, whom I thought might have something smart to say, but she was also trying very hard not to laugh!

My aunt is so cute.

Paintings from Bali

Everyday we spend hour and hours on the road to get from site to site in Bali. It's crazy - who knew Bali was this big?!? And who knew Bali is not just sun and sea, but clouds, typhoon winds and sub-Mediterranean temperatures?

Today I also managed to get paintings for my new place. 3 paintings for a real bargain :D
Now it's just hoping that the airline will allow me to get on board with the paintings.

My boss says...

"MinnieMoose, if you want to claim tax this trip, go ahead."

IS IT WRITTEN ON MY FACE?

I'm excited =)
Usually stocks are aplenty in Amsterdam. Will go earrings and twilly shopping tomorrow!

This Chinese New Year

I will be spending the eve with my crew in Amsterdam, having what will be a reunion dinner probably at a Thai joint.

It's cold and wet outside, and will continue to be so until the day I check out, that's Monday which is also Chinese New Year.

I miss being at home at this time of the year :(

Indonesian layer cake in Amsterdam.

In following what is tradition for my family (or at least, on mum's side) Chinese New Year is not complete without Bengawan Solo's layer cake. We've had this tradition for the longest time, even though that means having my aunt pay double the regular retail price to get the cake for CNY. In the past years that I did not make it home for CNY because of work, I've always made sure there was a BS cake in the fridge in Singapore.
This year, I thought I'd have to pay double too since I did not buy it earlier to keep. To my surprise, they did not raise the prices at Changi Airport!
Everybody take note - you know where NOT to get S$100 Bengawan Solo layer cake next CNY!

Ribbet ribbet

Today I finally had the famous Geylang frog porridge...
What a day of pigging out!
From Aussie Rolls with Auntie Eng to cakes at High Society with William and then frog porridge with Markus at Geylang, I must have put on a kilo or two today.

Also went to sight-see in Geylang. Too many horny man in the area, I was slightly traumatized.

Today I also said something which when I said out loud, sounded wrong and I just wished the floor would eat me up then.........

Must think before I speak in future.

Bayfront

Hello again MBS!
On my way to meet William. He's been waiting for me at a posh cafe with high class people. He might speak like the Queen when I meet him in 5.

Blackout on the Internet

Many websites are doing a blackout in protest of SOPA and PIPA.

One of the participating Internet heavyweight is Wikipedia.



This is what you will get when you load Wikipedia. Can't do shits! It would suck for last-minute students with an assignment to hand in today/tomorrow. Bless ya'll.


Fact: With SOPA you can get a 5-year jail term for uploading a Michael Jackson song, a year more than the doctor who killed him.

Just a thought

ding! brainwave.

I will not have to buy a Ferragamo Sofia if I buy an Hermes Kelly instead.

Sounds like a good idea.

48 Laws of Power

May the power be with you.

1. Never outshine the master.
2. Never put too much trust in friends; learn how to use enemies.
3. Conceal your intentions.
4. Always say less than necessary.
5. So much depends on reputation. Guard it with your life.
6. Court attention at all costs.
7. Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.
8. Make other people come to you; use bait if necessary.
9. Win through your actions, never through argument.
10. Infection: avoid the unhappy and unlucky.
11. Learn to keep people dependent on you.
12. Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.
13. When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interests, never to their mercy or gratitude.
14. Pose as a friend, work as a spy.
15. Crush your enemy totally.
16. Use absence to increase respect and honor.
17. Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate an air of unpredictability.
18. Do not build fortresses to protect yourself. Isolation is dangerous.
19. Know who you're dealing with; do not offend the wrong person.
20. Do not commit to anyone.
21. Play a sucker to catch a sucker: play dumber than your mark.
22. Use the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power.
23. Concentrate your forces.
24. Play the perfect courtier.
25. Re-create yourself.
26. Keep your hands clean.
27. Play on people's need to believe to create a cultlike following.
28. Enter action with boldness.
29. Plan all the way to the end.
30. Make your accomplishments seem effortless.
31. Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal.
32. Play to people's fantasies.
33. Discover each man's thumbscrew.
34. Be royal in your fashion: act like a king to be treated like one.
35. Master the art of timing.
36. Disdain things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best revenge.
37. Create compelling spectacles
38. Think as you like but behave like others.
39. Stir up waters to catch fish.
40. Despise the free lunch.
41. Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes.
42. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.
43. Work on the hearts and minds of others.
44. Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect.
45. Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once.
46. Never appear perfect.
47. Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop.
48. Assume formlessness.
    

The one who runs the slow race

So tonight started off awkwardly.
This is the second time in my life where I had to meet a guy and I don't know how to start things off. Be casual, handshake, smile and tilt head then shrug, or, what!?

The two hours went well, at a nice cafe by the sea with planes flying low over us... even though the driver got lost before getting there...........

This one's the turtle. Then the hare heard about it, and now wants to meet up somewhere near Changi too.
This is going to be interesting.

Let's be realistic

Furious from hearing how men have the upper hand at stringing a girl along.
Mad from knowing how men would waste girls' time just because the girl will give him that little bit of attention.
Disgusted from hearing how a guy, who had a great date with a girl who was interesting and had many things in common with him, decided not to ever see the girl again because she is just not hot enough.

GUYS LISTEN UP:

If you want a girlfriend like Miranda Kerr, make sure you look like Orlando Bloom!

Bags of the week

I think I just need a yellow bag to complete the primary colours. And this season there is a Yellow Tangerine for Sofia!
Hip, hip, oh wait. On a ban. Damn!

It strikes again

What's wrong with me?
Sometimes I don't even realize it when people are getting overly friendly.
Sometimes someone gets a little friendly and I'm running frantically away. I don't care what you do, even if you fly a plane, I'm not interested to have a cup of coffee to hear about a little poem you wrote.

How I wish I have the guts to actually say that to that person.

But as always, I'll just play nice... and will end up going for coffee.

Let's drink AJ

So it's been reported that orange juice prices have been going up and has just hit an all-time high. In fact it has gone up by 25% so... let's all drink apple juice! Or watermelon juice, my favorite juice :)

Back home >>AGAIN<< please do not be too envious.
I used to want to stay away from home this time of the year because being home now means having to clean the house!! However this year is different. Mum told me we can't spring-clean since we are still in mourning. Mum didn't make this rule up, an aunt told my mum. She said when she was cleaning grandma's room (even though she know she's not suppose to be spring-cleaning) something in grandma's room that has never fallen before fell. Mum can't remember what exactly it was but this aunt is as timid as a mouse so she said no more spring-cleaning!

Today I added the new bandeau to my red bag. I'm proud of it :) Will upload a photo maybe tomorrow.

Shoes that don't stink

It's true what they say - these Melissa shoes really smell like candy!
I was tempted to smell the shoes at the store but that would appear gross and retarded so I refrained from doing so.

Just a while ago when I opened the shoe box, the box smells sweet and so do the shoes! The shoes smell very very sweet, like bubblegum. Now I am just annoyed that there is glitter all over my hands!

Today sucked

The only highlight of the day was lunch - DUCK RICE!! Plus a huge spread of other wonderful dishes for just £10 per person. Was craving for the duck rice since touch down.
After that it was just misery.

I quickly went through the shops at Oxford Street without buying much (though I managed to finally get a pair of Melissa shoes) thinking that I had to get to Harrods ASAP before they run out of whatever they might have received this morning.
Despite my efforts at hurrying myself, I found nothing at Harrods. Nothing at all. I wanted to buy another twilly to complement my current twilly and Lindy but Hermes only had 6 twillies left. I wanted a bandeau for my red Epi leather LV but LV only had extremely limited bandeaus that did not go with red. I wanted Chanel earrings, Chanel only had 6 pairs left. I wante necklaces but Chanel only had the big pearly ones. I wanted to see more McQueen scarves, but there were only 7 or so skull scarves available. I wanted to check out the Philip Stein watches there were only 6 on display, 2 of which were for men. I wanted to find some gifts for my fengshui master, it seemed so hard to find something suitable for her (must have walked into the confectionary section 4 times before settling on a box of Charbonnel et Walker chocolates).
Just felt so miserable.
In the end I went to another LV store and settled for one bandeau that I think will go with my bag. I used 'settled' because their stocks were as limited as the ones in Harrods with an additional one scarf which is the one I ended up buying.
I walked further down to Hermes at Sloane Street and that big ass store only had ONE twilly.

This is the worst day ever for shopping.

>:(

I had planned to go to Covent Garden for more shopping initially but my enthusiasm was as good as dead so I decided to come back to the hotel and rant about the awful day here.

As though the day wasn't bad enough the shit on top of the hay was the new roster that was released while I was out: three Aussie flights in a month. They might as well have added the remaining two Aussie cities to make February my Australian tour month.
>:-/

And only one long flight.

Blah.

A visit to Norbiton

Paid Sean, Pay Wan and baby Annabelle a visit yesterday at their new home in far-out Norbiton.
As Sue was not feeling her best, she had covered her face with a mask and that amused Annabelle because she must be thinking how come this Aunt has only got half a face?!

We had a great meal and tea there too, courtesy of Pay Wan (fabulous Lor Mai Kai and 'onde-onde') and Sue (delectable pistachio cake).

It has been 2.5 months since I last saw Annabelle. I first saw her on her birth day and she must have been 3 days old or so when I last saw her. She's grown so much and her cheeks are like stuffed with marshmallows! She was a darling and definitely on her best behavior during the visit.

Cannot wait to see her again! She will be definitely be loved by all when she finally visits her Malaysian relatives.

Also finally got my hands on my McQueen scarf. It's so beautiful I want to buy more! Buying scarves is an addiction that I didn't know will hit so hard! Also owned another Ferragamo scarf this trip. Silk and leather, me can no get enough of you.... <3

Let's count 1 2 3

*burp*

I had a very satisfying Japanese meal after gym. Sashimi, fried tuna rolls, tamago and mango with king prawn rolls. All by myself.... It's been too long since I last had Japanese. Next week - more pigging out as I go to FUKUOKA!

In the YouTube video is a song I love <3
Found it by accident while showing baby Rylee some videos on counting. It must be the best 1-2-3 song everrrrr.
Needless to say, Rylee loves it too :)



Alright!

A sign of the times

2011: Every day I'm shuffling.

1836: Each and every riseth of the sun I will be moving thy feet in a whimsical manner.

New fear

In the gym.
I see all these ladies in their tights, who seem otherwise fit, with my one new fear and I conclude that it's an inescapable evil that will plague all women once middle age hits - saggy asses.


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo.....

DBS account holders listen up

Please don't let money that you've worked so hard for go missing!
If you want to let go of $1000, I'll gladly take them from you.
Check your accounts please!!!

Meanwhile, men are................ jerks.
Given them time and again to prove themselves otherwise, but somehow.......... they just have to be.

Take me back

Take me back to San Francisco.

I miss everything about it.

RAGING A WAR AGAINST MOULD

!@(!*(@!*&*!&@&!(!*$*!()&#*!@)*!(*@_)!(!!!!!!!!

Discovered my Prada is HEAVILY covered in mould.
Prada, Miu Miu, see the connection??

Did a quick check on other bags and all are safe. Was pretty worried about the Bottega Veneta because that one was stored close to the Miu Mius that were affected.

I'm declaring a war against mould!!!!

LMFAO

First-timer opening a durian.

One big step

TODAY marked a milestone for my new place.
Had the fengshui done, had many of the designs put in place, colours were decided upon and I think the budget is going over the roof!
... almost by two-fold :(

So happy, after all the headaches about the floor plan, it's all set now.

Also, today I learned that in Malaysia, if you speed fast enough i.e. above 161 kmph, the cameras can't catch you.
There you go, speed devils!

~2012~

Happy New Year!
How did you usher in 2012?
I did it with mum, dad and Lynn with a glass of Mojito each, and a house floor plan on the table.
My dad got a little bit high and punctuated discussions with talk of grandchildren.

WHOSE???

____________________________________________

I've only had 2 hours of sleep although I was tired throughout the night. My body is still in European time after 11 days and probably thought that when I went to sleep (about 7 pm in Europe) I was merely taking a nap. So at 4 a.m. local time, after 2 hours, I was up.
Worse, I was startled awake with a horrible thought that I won't be able to make it for my flight to Bali.
Booked a last minute ticket to Bali last night for the 24th to join my family but now I realized my turnaround time in Singapore is extremely short. I touch down from Amsterdam at about 6 a.m., barring any delays, and my Bali flight departs at 9.25 a.m.
The thought of rushing to offload my luggage, to shower and then rush to the airport again in that short span of time is freaking me out.

Must ask the deities for help!