Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I think I need a holiday

This morning when I was about to leave for work I almost had a heart attack. I couldn't find my favorite Bally shoes. The past week the roads in our area are being resurfaced and that means strangers are free to walk up and down the street. We live in a private and guarded area so we never close our gates, one because we don't have those electric remote control gates and two, it rains almost everyday nowadays so I hate to get myself wet while opening the gates, which I will if we keep them closed.

Imagine me not finding my shoes. I shrieked and asked frantically to my husband if someone had entered into our compound and took my shoes from the shoe closet. Hubby was as scared as me, but more for fear of our house being trespassed more than anything else obviously. I frantically ran to the store room. Looked in the Bally boxes, no black heels in sight. I was already hyperventilating. Ran to the patio and raided the shoe closet there. Opened my gardener's storage/closet. Didn't find them there too. I was already close to tears and ready to call in sick. I ran back to the store inside the house and looked in EVERY box. And there they were, my Bally heels. Tucked safely in a Nine West box. What was I thinking keeping shoes astray from their rightful box?

Why did I react this way today? Could it be because dear Ruby wrote a tragic post of missing shoe collection and that I totally feel her pain? After the bad days at the office I wasn't prepared for more in my private life.

I keep forgetting things nowadays. I need a holiday. Or maybe a shrink.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

It's My Blog and I'll Whine If I Want To

-EPISODE 1-


Hmmm been a while since I last wrote. And all postings had been put on halt due to crazy schedule and manic turn of events at work. Well now since I possess the will to write I shall tell you about the turn of event of my life at work last week.


As most of you would've already known, I was a SAHM previously until I decided to get back to work full time in March this year due to a too-good-to-resist offer as an Office Manager. I wish I could say it was to good due to its monetary factor, but no, I gave that up for the location (5 minutes drive from home) and portfolio (relatively less stress than my old portfolio in terms of travelling and work load). In my life before as a career woman I was the Head of Corporate Communications at a telecommunication company that is affiliated (a subsidiary actually) to the monopoly in terms of almost everything telecommunications in Malaysia. I can say that I am used to office politics, even I wasn't spared from directors' bereaucracy. What I will not get used to is petty and/or personal attacking colleagues/superiors and unprofessional work manner. This, my peeps, is the root cause to my whining. Those who can't take it, please proceed to the online stores in teh Interweb for your holiday shopping, you're better off doing that than complain later why I shouldn't whine. Like I said in my title post, it's my blog so go figure. Yes, I may be small and look nice, but I was also born with the ability to snap and bite.


I had my probation assessment done last week after a 2 month delay due to my direct superior's secondment to another company and getting a time together had been a challenge. Nevertheless the time was made anyway last Thursday. Before we went on formally my boss (hereinafter refered to as Person #1) actually pushed the papers aside and "talked". I sensed it was the kind of talk a guy gives his girlfriend before saying "We're not right for each other", only this wasn't that, nor was Person #1 firing me, but the kind that tells you to buck up for what's coming next. He was very professional through it all, and remained so till the end and I had no qualms whatsoever. But when he started telling me that prior to seeing me he consulted the second person in line (hereinafter refered to as Person #2) because of his being away for 3 months now and Person #2 supervising me in his absence was the moment my gut feelings were cemented. After the whole gammut of "How do you think you're doing here?", "How do you like working with the people here?", yada yada yada, Person #1 began this whole thing about him being different, how he knew what that felt like and that he didn't mean it in any bad way at all. Uh huh, I knew where he was getting at. Person #1 conveyed to me that he gathered from Person #2 that some people at the workplace expressed difficulty communicating with me because of my "socio-economy standing", my "personality" and my "background". These are not the people in the same company I work in rather those attached to our sister companies and under the same roof.


My whine #1: since when being different is bad?


Whine #2: so if other people can't communicate well with me, it's my fault???


Person #1 analogized me further with the owner cum Executive Chairman's daughter (who's also a staff). Now, this was a lady of extreme wealth and social standing, dresses designer from head to toe and carefree (at last that's what I think). In my heart of course I was flattered, come on, admit you like that too when you get it. But feling flattered and irritated over the same thing is crazy, no?


To that person/s who couldn't/can't communicate with me because of me: Fuck you! Fuck your twisted mind!


This being done, Person #2 joined us to commence the joint evaluation. A set of questions were run through, 1 to 5 points style, 5 being the highest. I hover between 3 and 5 in all categories. It got personal when Person #1 wanted to rate me 5 and Person #2 mentioned (with me there) she never got a 5 and she never gave a 5 (except for another friend of mine - of course I know, I'm the office manager! I handle all documents), and "Why should she get a 5?". S.H.I.T. Because I'm good, duhhhh. To strike a balance between them I looked on while box number 4 was checked. F.U.C.K.


Might I add that our evaluation form was a lousy one even Person #1 couldn't believe such a point system was still in use. Anyways, we sailed through and Person #1 tried the best to give me a high rating, and after 2 rounds of doing so I admitted to feeling indifferent when he asked.


Whine #3: why are you complaining now, surely you have seen this form before evaluating Person #2? She reports to you too. Aaaaah no, she got confirmed over talking over lunch downstairs.... (nope didn't make this one up, Person #2 merely answered when I asked.)


Whine #4: I am tired with myself already thinking why the hell wasn't I my usual inquisitive self during the assessment....


-THE END-


-EPISODE 2-

Person #2 apologized to me the next day and admitted she wasn't good at managerial matters. Chill dude. I'm professional. And I expect you to be one too.

Whine #5: you don't apologize after blatantly and intentionally bashing someone, especially after a work appraisal. GOSH!!


-THE END-



-EPISODE 3-

Person #2 requsted for new set of business cards early last week. I ordered 2 boxes. Today she tells me I have to design a new internal requisition form for purchases like this after I handed her the purchase order to sign. She says she might not want to order 2 boxes if she had known the price (she's ordered 2 sets before, each different than the last. 2 blocks for printing have been created for her. 1 box of card = RM35. 1 block = RM17. Hang on a minute, is she complaining over a 70 bucks worth of purchase that she instructed me to do???). Don't give me that condascending "Sometimes our memory doesn't serve us right" when you won't admit your state of mind. Do it like I do, ADMIT you're forgetful. I won't blame you for it because I know you're a busy woman.


Whine #6: why oh why did you ask me to create a monthly burn sheet if you don't check it?!?!


Whine #7: I might as well be the Admin Department and Human Resources Department on top of the Office Manager post I'm holding. Why do we want to duplicate and replicate this process when all she can do is ask the Admins for all the forms and estimations on earth when she needs to????


-THE END-




To the bitches and man-bitches in the company with communication defficiency syndrome, fuck yourselves! I don't have to like you to do my job and vice versa. I am there to work. Not make nice. If I dropped dead y'all still work, wontcha?? Save your hypocrite selves for someone else.


Now my take on how I look: "Don't hate me coz I'm beautiful!" MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Say A Little Prayer

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Bonus Post

OK, let's kill two birds with a stone. Peeps, here's a proof to assure you I'm well and okay, kicking and alive, and trying too hard to look as cheery as possible at work today. Don't regret you asked, teeheeee....


The Fantastic Four

This feels like homecoming... it almost feels as if I've just been teleported to a time in my past where I did all I felt like doing, when I desired. No pressure. No guilt.

I'm sorry for the absence, I just lost that loving feeling, I felt like I couldn't/wouldn't write ever again for enormous reasons - mainly based on laziness which was based on sucky work life responsible for making me cry my eyes out (the sucky person at work finally left to another place, I'm more at peace nowadays). I appreciate those lovely comments encouraging I should continue and that I am missed, let me assure you readers (errrr.... if I still have any!) I miss you all tremendously too. Never once did I not check your blogs, I'm very updated in that sense - I'm the invisible woman lurking in your space, I will, though, appear sometimes too, and when I do I leave traces of me and usually not long after that I get a visitor knocking at the door and leaving lovely messages in return.... LOVE you all, my peeps!

For those that have been waiting, please drop a note to a lovely person known to me as Ruby, her weaselly trick succeeded in getting me back to bloggin'. The exclusive use of this gem type name is given by her to ONLY yours sincerely, merci beaucoup Belette. Je t'aime!

Now I'm sure the title of this post is most significant for the the movie based on the comic and cartoon. I watched it as a kid, and the adult me who watched the movie only wish that I could be a fraction of the lady cast in her real life. What it is actually, is the thing that brought me here. I'm playing the "Four Tag"!

So here they are....

1. Four places that I go to over and over:
- To my kitchen
- To my bedroom, to my bed
- To the bathroom
- To my cubicle in the office

2. Four people who e-mail me regularly:
- Gilt Groupe bringing me all designer stuff for a discount that I can never buy as my credit card billing address is not in the States. Yes, I torture myself.

- Elle.com to make sure I get to learn new tricks of the trade, see new trends of the season, follow those that I can afford, and torture myself further.

- J Crew, for the same reasons as above.

- RealAge to remind me that registering my email with them is the sanest thing I've done in my whole life. My momma's proud I did this, ;)

3. Four places I would rather be right now:
- Paris
- The Greek islands
- NYC
- Home (since I'm now in the office)

4. Four of my favorite places to eat:
(this is tough, now that my parents are with me five days of the week, I eat in most of the time)
- Home (my momma's the best cook ever!)
- Pizza Uno
- Alexis Bistro and Cafe
- Chili's (more often than not this is the last reasort kinda place)

5. Four TV shows I watch over and over:
(I'm not a big TV fan, but I do indulge once in a while)
- Heroes
- The Tudors
- Jamie Oliver's series (Oliver's Twist, The Naked Chef, Jamie's School Dinners, Jamie's Great Italian Escape etc etc etc)
- Friends (I will never get tired watching the reruns)

Which brings us to the finale, four people I'm tagging. I wasn't really the good girl in school, best known for my ability of bending rules and getting away with it like a champion. I'll let my readers choose to play this fun games - for most of you working in the office, hey let's face it, it's almost weekend, and work is plain B.O.R.I.N.G. Do this, it guarantees you at least half an hour of dreaming pleasure!

I'll see you soon (fingers crossed...).

Friday, April 18, 2008

1, 2, 34...


One two, buckle my shoe

Three four shut the door

.... .... .... .... ..........


So it feels like.... Two days ago it was that day women dread every year, the day when you feel like the world labels you err, old (I'm quite afraid of that word, but more afraid of the fact that I don't feel it at all!). I've prayed from maybe a couple of months ago for it to be like any other, and wanting it to be as low key as possible until for the first time in my life I found out my boss and I share the same B-Day. This is the first time I ever met someone who I can share this sort of special day with. That's us about to dig into our Fruit Meringue. So I turned 34 and my boss, lets just say he turned older than last year. No need for him to be wiser, I'm sure he already is!
That night I had dinner with my family, parents and brother, I haven't done this in ages since all of us live in different states and my birthday over the last couple of years fell on weekdays. Until this year that is. The year that took unexpected turn. What a lovely day and night I had.
Thanks to all who've taken the time calling, writing and sending me birthday wishes, this year tops it as the year with the most wishes, woohooo!!! And thanks for the gifts too - the most unexpected one of all being from our HR hehehe...

Friday, April 4, 2008

In Her Shoes

When I saw this in the news tonight my heart just soared. Definitely for a good cause and I'd encourage anyone in that area to sign up (too bad I don't know any, so for you peeps who happen to be there, please do participate). I'm all for women's rights and the whole nine yards, and when it becomes as fun and fashionable like this, hey I get excited! Look at these guys, how cute is that?

Since I'm nowhere near to join in, I pledge my men to walk in heels and take their pics while doing it, I hope my dear husband and kid will walk in my too-tight-for-him and too-big-for-him shoes and support me. If they think I'm nuts then at least they'll know the length I go to look good! I bet it'll teach them a thing or two about keeping good posture.

For more news on Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, click here and here.

In a different development, the gorgeous WendyB did wonderful posts on shoes, her lovely collection and those that she tried on and took pics of. Check out the Miu Miu Tea Cup Pumps, I've fallen in love with the red ones the first time I saw them last month. Vivid imaginations of me as Alice having tea with Madhatter flashed through my mind just looking at these beauties... And the brown leather Alaias, they give me the heart palpitation....

If you still hadn't noticed, this post is on shoes and will be all about shoes, please bear with me, no I'm not done yet. Gracious, kind and lovely friend, Ruby, also managed to turn my world upside down a few days ago. If I hadn't the pressing need to get to work I swear I'd never have been sorted out. Look at her cute purchase. I wish I could get away wearing flats to work, hang on let me re-phrase it - I wish I was 5' 9" to be able to wear flats to work everyday. Being 5' 2" won't get you noticed if you were to walk this wonderful earth in flats all the time. Ruby is a lucky girl, for being tall and for her recent purchase that will walk Paris this summer. You go, girl!

OK peeps, I need to go look for those shoes to fit two pairs of feet into, I have my own worthy cause teeheeheeee....!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

I'm the queen bee

Oh noes!
The person responsible for taking me off the blog scene all this while.
Pic by nadio

Goodness gracious, he's a handful!
Pic by nadio




His I'm-so-cute-you'll-forgive-me pose.

I need to cool off, really!

(Thanks for all the love, peeps!)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Award and Romance

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm thrilled to announce that on January 28th, my humble blog was presented with the "You Make My Day Award" by gorgeous peeps from Atlanta GA, AsianCajuns. Thanks, Catherine and Lauren! Woohoo! The first one ever!

This is how it works. I have to pass on this award to 10 people whose blogs bring me happiness and inspiration and make me feel happy about blogland. Comments shall be left on their blogs so they can pass it on. This is what the sweetums had to say about me:

Heart and Soul: For living it up in Malaysia with style.

OK, when I started this blog in August last year, I started off fulfilling my own promise that I'd start to write and/or let my thoughts be known. Prior to that, and oh so typical of me, it was just an idea I'd stored at the back of my head which wagged and nagged for a year. I didn't categorize my blog and decided that I'd write about anything that strikes my fancy. I do love fashion and lifestyle, so maybe a good chunk of this blog consist of them. HOWEVER, I'm not an expert on those two subjects, and I purposely don't pose for photos in full glory (of fashion sense) as I want to leave that to others who do it so much better. Let's just say I'll let my closet and its contents to my own torturous view. So let's get a move on...

Tomorrow's the last day of Janvier. I generally hate this month because things seem to take a backseat, but anyhow, I'll welcome Fevrier with open arms. It's my parents' wedding anniversary, so this month holds dear to my heart. February 10th 1972 was the day my dearest mom accepted my dad to be his life companion. Ahhh... that young bride... I'd have loved to post a pic or two of her looking so chic in three different gowns, each complete with three different length gloves. I remember cheekily making fun of that but my dad was very defensive of her bride. Ouch! Anyways, my parents live in a different state, so I've no access to their wedding pictures.

And the icing on top of the cake, for the lovebirds, women and men alike, Valentine's Day. My husband and I don't celebrate it as we believe that love should be celebrated everyday but I do love watching other couples this day. The only thing I hate about this day is how commercialized it has become, dinner becomes ridiculously pricey and man, the price for a stalk of rose skyrockets to 20 bucks? Sheesh! Thank goodness I'm a lily girl, which doesn't help either as flowers generally become too expensive for the week of Valentine's. So thankfully, I don't celebrate.

It's fantastic, huh? Yeah, for people IN love, that is! For those, er, luckier ones with more liberty, what are you doing on Valentine's Day? Turn your cheeks away on PDA (yes that PDA, not your cellphone for goodness sakes), roll your eyes at yet another couple doe-eyed and cooing into each others ears? No, you don't, you let them be or you curse under your breath! Here's an idea, group your girlfriends for a round of clothes swapping!

Now that's what I call satisfaction!

But I just have to share this with y'all. Truely, utterly, absolutely romantique.

Awww....

Cherish love forever, guys.

As for the award, I've decided to do it in stages, tonight it'll be:

WendyB

La Bellette Rouge

A tout a l'heur, mon amis!

Monday, January 28, 2008

No No No! Yes Yes YES!!

Oh Johny, I love you with all my heart, you taught me how to sing (Grease) and you also taught me how to groove (Saturday Night Fever), but what did your stylist talk you into?



I'm no expert in hair fashion and all, but this one, me no likey. Widow's peak and poufed up bangs ain't the way to go. Having them in bird wing shape ain't the way of confessing your love for aviation either, hun. Kelly must've really liked this one on you... Sigh...

Please don't get me wrong, I love this guy, really, I've said that already, haven't I? I discovered Grease when I was maybe 5, found a cassette of the movie's soundtrack which led me to Olivia Newton-John and 70's fashion. The love continued till I was 8 when my parents finally allowed me to watch Saturday Night Fever. It was 1982, and man, was I groovin'. Dug your white suit, dear, even when the world in the 80's criticized 70's fashion and by that your white ensemble was the point of reference. Now go do yourself a favor and have your hair close cropped again.

No, no, no.

But peeps, this next one is dedicated to WendyB and her love for butt bows. Wendy, may I just say that you wear it much better!


And screw Google for what they have done to your blog. I MISS YOU. You hear that LIVE people at Google? Bring Sexywendy back! JT would agree hands down.

Monday, January 21, 2008

My Saturday in Melaka

We decided to head down to Melaka on Saturday so the three of us with a couple of friends got into a minivan and had a blast. No itinerary, just a fun, laidback evening. First stop, Kampung Morten for nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf. My girlfriend said it was good but I didn't know it was that good. Mmm mmmm delish. Then we hit another area for seafood. The best! Both in taste and price. We had prawns, stingray and deep fried calamari. I drank coconut juice - from the fruit. No pics peeps, you guys should know me by now, where there's food everything else is secondary! Oh before I forget, just before reaching the seafood place, we found this signboard where I just had to have a picture of. Roy got out while we laughed our behinds off...

Translation: Cows not permitted. Private property.

Duhh. Cows everywhere, this is the importance of going to school. Now look where the head of the herd had brought you to. At least the cows in Melaka are bright enough to tell (read???) where their presence is not appreciated.

Whoever came up with this idea, we wonder which school you went to?

Right after dinner we headed straight for the town to Jonker Street. Major night market every Friday and Saturday night and the street is transformed to Jonker Walk. During the day it's where you get antiques, gemstones and just about everything and it's also where you find the Peranakan Museum. This is where the life is in this historical town. I scored this hand beaded flip-flops for RM18.


And nothing related, this is how I look like with the shorter hairstyle.

Picture by Sean

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Get out of my dreams, and into my blog

I decided I've had enough beauty slumber of two days and two nights and woke up this morning after dreaming a sweet but painful dream. In my dream I had a walk-in closet with rows and rows of designer clothes, jewelry and stackful of shoes and handbags. Colors of all sorts. Names of all brands. Sizes and shapes of all kinds. And to my bewilderment AsianCajuns, Vintage Bunny, Jen, Wendiva, Elisabeth and Miss Ann appeared out of nowhere and took my handbags away!!! I awoke with the sinking feeling of loss. A loss of something I never owned.

My six beautiful deserving peeps, you're tagged. Now aren't you sorry you appeared in my dream?!?

AsianCajuns: Because you have so many wonderful clothes and bags.
Vintage Bunny: Because I'm always amazed at how one manages to find bags of 99 cents, and gorgeous ones too!
Jen: For having FINE taste in almost everything. Need I say more?
Wendiva: I'm jealous of your past life and the life you're leading now. Wonder what's in the bag you carry with you to the hospital?
Elisabeth: So when you get back into the office from your vacay you'd have something better to do.
Miss Ann: Errmm... because you travel on a private jet? I wish I was in your bag!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Tagged

So I've been tagged recently by WendyB. She says I need to post more often anyway, so. The theme is "Name six things in my handbag". Now I'll confess that while I'm not the typical girl who carries tissue paper in her purse, I do change my handbags quite often, and have been in trouble a few times for doing so a couple of time. I'm digressing.... OK, so let's base this tagged thing on mon sac du jour. It's my small New Miky JP Tod's (mine's a different color though). Skoopid laptop has no card reader, so no pics guys, desolee. Not many things in it, hence the name small.

1. My vintage Liz Claiborne long wallet. Basically my whole life is in it. Cash, cards, id, driver's license, atm receipts a.k.a. junks, small pics of Roy and Sean, and a passpost photo of myself taken while I was expecting Sean that I'd be furious if I ever lose it. This was the time when "glowing radiance" was so applicable. Hey, there's nothing wrong with holding on to something good. Aaahhh and yes, tucked in one of the compartments, Roy's proclamation of his love for me from 12 years ago written on a piece of white A4 paper which were passed to me while we were in the university library (supposedly studying....??).

2. A leather Swarovski card holder. If you're card's in it you're my VIP. The Coffee Bean Card's in it too, in case I lose my wallet, I'll still get to calm my nerves with coffee till the card runs out of credit.

3. Visine Redness Reliever eye drops. I'm all about the color red, but this is one color that I'm not so proud to show off if it appears anywhere on my face, so I depend on the eye drops. I read somewhere that it gets rid the angry zit of its color. Since I'm 16 and still popping all over, this is THE thing to stay in the bag all the time.




4. Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss in Shimmering Pink. A girl can never go wrong with it.


5. My beloved Motorazr. Yes, a Blackberry or iTouch is the thing to have now, but I stick with the Razr because of its size. Plus if anyone ever gets on my nerves I get to slash him good. Not just today in my small bag, but anytime anywhere.



6. Small change. In case my Razr decides to fly.

There you have it. Since this tagging business is an epidemic like what WendyB says and finding a victim is easy peasy breezy, I'm left with a challenge. Now who shall that other six be? Can I sleep on it first guys...?

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Speeding ticket....

Guys, I deserve a ticket for zooming past my own site. I've been extremely busy, now that school has started again. It's crazy!

Just an update, I trimmed my hair last Saturday, shorter than the first time I had it short, and I'm loving it even if Roy says it kinda looks the same! Afraid the pic'll have to wait, I'm posting on my husband's laptop and it doesn't have a card reader. Can you believe it???

Note: I've been tagged by the fabulous WendyB which I'm working on. Watch out for it.