have a significant 2011

it is that time of the year already for everyone to reminisce great things or significant events of 2010 and make resolutions for 2011.
well, i assume it is for most people.

am i going to do the same???

frankly, i don't think i can remember much of what have happened this year.
i will only think of my holiday trips if you ask me. i am not one who looks behind when i think the road ahead is still such a long stretch to travel on.
i am just glad that nothing disastrous happened and i appreciate the life that i have.

so let us talk about the future.

reading one article in the star by one of the columnists triggered a spark inside me to strive for 2011. do read it and who knows, it might motivate you to lead a meaningful year.
i like these lines from the article:
- John Maxwell states the success of my day is based on the seeds that i sow, not the harvest i reap.
- Sowing unwearingly is better than instant results as real reaping is dependent on the seeds you sow today.
- The choices you make every day with your time and efforts directly impact how you will be remembered.
- It's not about leaving a legacy, it's about living a legacy.

so for 2011, the keyword is- SIGNIFICANCE. and i think i am referring to work when i think of that word.
i think i am passionate about the kind of work i do and i do get great satisfaction when i know that i have touched lives.
being told that i have made changes in someone's life is one of the most gratifying moments in my life.
i will do my work the best i can because i don't want any regret later on. i don't want to give people a chance to talk behind my back saying that i have failed and i am bad at what i do.

so please please please....let all elements work well with me. fengshui. star allignments. zodiac. horoscope. bazi. what else did i miss? haha

i guess by the end of the day, no one will remember how many holidays i have been to or how many bags i have in my collection. will they think of how i lead my life and what i have imparted? i hope so.

hence, i am revealing here the list of duties i have for 2011.

the original one which overwhelmed me and made me not a toughie anymore and breaking down and crying at the workplace.
-head of the english language panel
-head of photography unit
-assistant to the disciplinary master (but head of girl section)
-head of green sports house
-in the school magazine board
-in athletics club
-in wushu club
and of course....the real job- 25 periods in 5 classes.

so after the crying, i successfully.....cried away..........haiz.......1 post ;(
i am no longer the head of the english language panel. i am relieved and sad at the same time. relieved because i will have one less file to worry about. but sad because i am handing over the neat and complete file which i had done so well this year to someone else. i still feel attached to the post. what do you think they should have taken away instead or was it the right post to take away?

haha.....ookokok no regret. just work with what i have.
hope everyone will have a meaningful 2011. care to share your thoughts for 2010 or 2011??

crying on first day back at office

and so i cried and cried and cried and cried today at the first staff meeting.
yup. but there were not long bawls in front of all colleagues ok. at first it was tears welling in the eyes whenever i talked about 'heavy duties' i got. then they turned into short sobs and it reached the max when i went to the office and into the boss' room.
why was i so emotional??

can't list the posts here yet...some are still under consideration for changes and i don't want to jinx it. i guess everyone just thought i was tough and could just handle all the responsibilities. i ain't no superwoman! no one teased me this morning when they found out about my duties. you know how sometimes we would gibe each other without the intention of causing any harm. well, my facial expression as soon as i walked into the room could have killed someone, so no one said anything.

i thought my duties next year would be lighter or similar to this year's, but the huge boulder given to me just totally crushed me. hence, i lost control of my emotion i guess. breaking under pressure. i really cried. still find it hard to believe myself.

ookk....happier things now.

yesterday, went to klcc, pavilion, fahrenheit 88, lot 10 and 1 utama with uncle, aunt and atticus. ate at hutong lot 10. atticus loved the barbecue pork and roast pork. uncle loved the hokkien noodles. i had bak kut teh but did not like the rice, quite dry that day.
jia en came to join us.
i got a black top from gap. oh-ho...black, not for chinese new year for sure. gap had 30% sale store wide. atticus got a pair of jeans from uniqlo, uncle got a cotton shirt there and aunt got a few stoles (long scarf) at only rm24.90. cheap cheap. all from uniqlo.

a collage of yesterday's photos. on the left- one utama's christmas decorations. bottom middle- my uniqlo stole. on the right- yippee!!! starbucks 2011 planner from jia en. she finished collecting all the stamps. it will be my companion next year. i love all the slots they have on the inside cover.

ok that is all. still have to recover from all my sobs today. better get a good night's sleep because i have to go back tomorrow morning to finalise some of the things. i don't want to cry anymore!

blogging from phone

SINCE atticus is hOGGing tHe pc now, it gives me an opportunity to try blogging using my phone: the qwerty keyboard woks fine but i dunno why it is the upper case tHAT COMES UP. OK, I AM TOO LAZY TO PRESS THE SHIFT KEY TO GET THE LOWER CASE, HENCE YOU GET ALL THIS HERE NOW........AND WILL BE TILL THE END OF THIS POST.                      THE PHOTO ABOVE WAS TAKEN AT THE ARENA OF STARS, GENTING HIGHLANDS YESTERDAY NIGHT. WATCHED MUSIC OF ABBA BY THE ARRIVALS FROM SWEDEN WITH MOM, DAD AND AUNT. AUNT GOT A LAST MINUTE VIP TICKET FROM HER FRIEND SO THAT GAVE DAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN US.                                                         IT WAS A FUN 90 MINS SHOW AND YOU REALISED THAT MUSIC FROM THE MUSICAL MAMMA MIA IS MORE POPULAR. THOSE IN THEIR FIFFTIES ENJOYED THEMSELVES SO MUCH JIGGLING FROM THE START AND IN THE LAST SONG, DANCING QUEEN, THE WHOLE ARENA WAS STANDING AND DANCING. THEIR VOCALS WERE  SO CLEAR AND CRISP. I DUNNO WHY SOME SAY GH'S SOUND SYSTEM IS BAD. COULD IT BE THE SINGER  HERSELF WHO IS NOT GOOD?                                                                               WELL, WE CAME HOME AFTER THE CONCERT AND IT WAS BED TIME TO ME. WOKE UP AT FIVE TO PICK UP ATTICUS AND UNCLE. MOM FOLLOWED ME. OOOOHHHH I WAS SO SLEEPY ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT.                                                                     TOMORROW WE ARE GOING TO KLCC FOR SHOPPING......NOT ME, I HOPE. BUT I STILL HAVE TO GET SOMETHING FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR. TOLD MOM THAT ALL MY NEW YEAR CLTHES ARE IN SHADES OF GREY AND SHE SCOLDED ME. SO NOW I HAVE TO LOOK FOR SOMETHIN BRIGHT.UNCLE WANTS TO BUY A PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES AND ATTICUS WANTS TO BUY COOL CLOTHES. CAN'T DENY THAT I WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK WITH SOMETHING LA. CAN FEEL IT ALREADY.                                                    OK ENOUGH ALREADY. TIRED FROM LOOKING AT THE SMALL SCREEN. 

thank god i was at friday's

it was a very tiring day yesterday.
my meeting started at 8 and not everyone was on time. one even had the cheek to come after 9! damn it! and the group leader did not say anything. i hate this kind of attitude. because of some slow workers and their incompetence, the whole group gets dragged and i only got to go back 3.30p.m. bad leadership too.

only managed to rest for about one hour before i had to start my journey to kl.
my gathering number 3 with ex-collegemates!
venue: tgif, subang parade.
time: 7-8p.m.
no of people: from 6 became only 4

i drove aunt to her friend's place in usj first. i was late because of the road congestion and rain along the highway. saw 2 accidents at highway. scary.

the heavily pregnant lian arrived first at 7.15p.m. i arrived at 7.30p.m.
and finally- the two VIPS (one of them initiated the gathering) arrived at....drumroll.......8.30p.m.! they are sangeeta and zaamah. finally the group is complete.

the menu at tgif was limited that night due to it being christmas eve, so we did not have to crack our head much to order. by the time sangee and zaamah arrived, food was on the table and everyone dug in.

this is our group photo.....with all the food....well, one plate was missing, too busy talking and i had forgotten to snap the photo. 2 main courses, 2 desserts and 4 appetisers.

the conversation topics ranged from giving birth (i can only be a listener here) to match-making to maids' problems to updating each other's statuses. it was great fun and the mouth never stopped moving. we had not met for 10 years but it seemed only like 10 weeks the last we saw each other. there was no gap at all and we clicked straight away. wonderful!

my poor aunt waited at her friend's place till 11.30p.m. tgif closed already then and the whole subang parade mall too. so i suggested that we meet for breakfast next time. then there is lunch and dinner to standby if we cannot end our session.

well, it is the best time i have ever spent at friday's and it made up for the so-so quality of food you get.

off to genting tonight to listen to the music of abba. i am not going to get any sleep tonight. have to be at klia at 6a.m. to pick up atticus and uncle. urggh....but i have cherries to look forward to. yummy.

@_@.....can see stars

urgghh....the bane of technology.

i thought i was going to have an easy afternoon and night since the meeting ended very early today...before noon.
but before i could leave the meeting place, i got requests to analyse the just-released results and to do comparisons with the previous year's results.

why do i blame technology? my workplace is quite advanced i guess. all the results (individual) are keyed-in into the computer by noon already and when i got home at 12.30, i could browsed every kid's As, Bs, Cs, Ds and Es online.

so there is no excuse for me not to start work. sat in front of the computer for hours, counting, and the calculator was my best friend then.
after counting, key-in, tabulating. check again.....confirm got mistakes. hahaha...

finally everything was done at 8p.m. just now. called the boss, she sounded so tired and exhausted and said that she will not have time to even open the files i have completed. haiz....
never mind lah.....

i also heard some troubling news about posts i will be holding next year. i hope she is only kidding with me. if what she said is true, i will loose sleep the whole year!
i will know it on 28 december 8.30a.m. please please please....it is only a joke!

ok..have to prepare myself for another gathering with ex-collegemates tomorrow at subang. what a fruitful holiday this is. my 3rd gathering with them. different ones are coming this time too.

going to rest the fingers now but not the eyes. modern family time! managed to download 2 episodes from season 2. it is really funny. those with astro, check which channel it is on and watch it ok?? my favourite character is Manny. he is so adorable and serious at the same time.

have a great christmas eve. drive safe. please don't rain tomorrow.

how i cry for you tiffany!

WAAAA!!!! early in the morning and i gave a tearless cry. why tearless??? buckets of tears also cannot salvage the damage done. WAAAA!!!!!

it happened at 8a.m. right before i left the house for the meeting. was wiping my hand dry when it broke.

can you feel the heartache???

the beads falling down and then jumping all over the floor...ooh...the heart attack.
i picked up whatever i could and put them in a pouch. grandma who was already up said she would sweep the floor and search for more. she found 9 beads.

now this is what i have:

the chain broke! damn it! so fragile. the chain clasp got loose i think. there should be around 10 more beads lying around somewhere on the floor downstairs. do you think tiffany can fix it? will try my luck when i go to klcc.

for the meantime....let me grieve tearlessly.

pizza- alexa time

pigging time tonight.

mom and aunt went for a wedding banquet.
grandma went for her friend's birthday dinner which is held in a hall.
dad was booked to drive someone somewhere.

so who else is home??
just grandpa and me and the dog.

the dog has been fed.....now it is our turn.

burp! one large cheesy lava pizza from pizza hut. paid using rm20 cash voucher and so we had to top up a little. anyone wants to share? i think i will be having pizza for lunch tomorrow too. it is really very cheesy. cheese in every bite you take. i can still smell the cheese now. grandpa and i both have 2 pieces each. so we still have half a pizza left.


and now....let me get the bag issue over and done with.

yup, it's a mulberry and i guess you guys would have guessed that it is alexa now.

it all started with that trip to klcc. they have a mulberry store there and i walked in because i was looking for collonil spray for the bag. damn! they never stock enough here in malaysia and they don't have any stock again. can mulberry please please stock them so we can take care of our bags.

and so after being pissed that they did not have the spray in store, the eyes started to wander to the display area and .....well......the eyes saw alexa oversized in gunmetal sparkle tweed. yup that is the colour.

so the sales assistant got it down and i started 'trying' the bag. like the sparkly detail on the leather and how it is not as heavy as other leather. you don't have to worry that it will get any scratches.

however, the oversized alexa is too big. it will be perfect for work where you can throw in all sorts of documents inside with other things....but definitely not for casual trips. the bigger your bag is, the more you will tend to chuck in. then you will have to lug the bag around and end up with stiff shoulders.

my friend, dear aniq, asked the sales assistant if they had the alexa in another of their outlet. that was when all hell's broke loose.
yes, it was available in their garden midvalley newly-reopened store and there was only 1!! they don't really bring in many pieces for one design. and it was on 30% discount.
ting-ting-ting!! could hear the bell in my head then.

so the next day, had the opportunity to go to kl again because i had to pick up my aunt. in the afternoon after picking her up, we headed to midvalley. all the parking zones were full! crazy! all did not allow any entrance....even the valet parkings were full. luckily one spontaneous attempt to turn into midvalley cititel bore fruit. the valet parking full sign was out but they still parked if there were cars going out. i was lucky, there was just one empty slot. so rm15 went to the car jockey. i had been circling the megamall for almost 20 mins, outside. phew!

destination- straight to mulberry.

it was a small one but the sales assistant on duty there recognised me from klcc when i asked for the gunmetal sparkle tweed alexa which was on display behind the counter. i am not that famous ok.
she was on leave yesterday and she happened to drop by the store in klcc when i was in. i guess my blue dress and yellow bag caught her attention.....yes, she described what bag i carried and what dress i wore. anyway, the klcc store only had 3 of us with the other SAs that time.

so i started 'trying' the alexa and scrutinising every part of the bag again and getting the 'feel' of the bag.
then another lady walked in. she had with her the oak (brown) alexa bought by her husband and she would like to exchange it for another darker colour. how lucky! in my hand was the gunmetal and on display was a black. the SA took down the black for her but of course she did not like it. she was attracted to the one in my hand but since i had already decided to buy the bag then (actually the night before the decision was made), she browsed the store instead.

so imagine huh, if i got there like 10 mins late, i would not have to spend all my money on that bag. would i scream in frustration? no, i won't. really. not kidding here. i would just say, 'just my luck or no luck.'

well, anyway, as you know, the rest is history. i got the bag.

it was already not on mulberry's website but you can still find it at start-london website. they show the normal retail price there. although my bag is on 30% discount here in malaysia, it was just slightly cheaper than the retail price shown in england.

no regret ok. haha..comforting myself for buying the most expensive bag ever in my life.

so here goes the rest of the pictures-

a zipped compartment inside.



picture from polyvore.com
i have to google it because......the photo i took with my handphone turned out this way:

well, you see the bag in the real light here. love the turnlock. love the straps. love the leather braided chained handle.

now- stop the shopping. mom still does not know. she will shout the house down i am sure. the bag will be wrapped and locked for a while. it will come out to see daylight when the time is right.
AMEN.

sneak peek

let me reply to a comment first......

well miss peng peng, did you get a message from me on facebook???? no right? so i guess your guess is wrong.

heart attack moment is not over yet......

so you guys peek a little at my purchase lah and i am sure since everyone coming to this blog is either brilliant or intelligent, you guys will make out what that super purchase is.

can anyone piece the puzzles together???? aniq and quin cannot do this task. they were there when i checked out the alternative to my actual purchase.






want more????
let me take my moments with this purchase ah...hahahaa
more to come tomorrow

ESCAPE is not allowed into any more malls!!!

can lust be controlled????

remember what i wrote in my previous post?? well to recap- i am not going to buy anything....till next year..
phhhtttt i think that was just a fart. i hate myself.

i definitely have to avoid malls. if you don't go, you won't see them, then you won't be attracted, then you won't try, then you won't buy.

so christmas comes early to me and santa (MYSELF!!!) is very generous too.

now, these are the places to avoid....together with their christmas decorations too.

midvalley- like a toy emporium. is that what they call it?

giant teddies are everywhere.


purple? who else but suria klcc.
very simple, nothing fancy.

well, you know it is pavilion when you see the huge hall here.
golden gazebos decorated and you can even pose with models.
winter at pavilion? i heard they have snow-flake like machine switched on at certain times.

fahrenheit 88, previously known as kl plaza. a more upmarket version of sg wang plaza now. i think the only attraction here is uniqlo. they have some nice leggings but everything else in the store is all winter gears.

so i prowled 4 malls in 2 days. and the loot???
i am starting with the cheapest ah.........don't have to list the price as well lah. for me to know and for you to guess.

a stack of bangles. nice huh?? looks more expensive than the price i pay. worth it.

timberland slippers. aunt loves it, unfortunately the clearance sale has ended today. i hope it won't hurt the space between the toes. it is very comfy and light. can even wear to work.

heels!! yeah.....i have been craving for heels!!!! but you know, i can't wear them because of plantar faciitis....so only for special occasions. i need a pair of black one and i am glad that i have finally found it from nine west. 30% discount. does not hurt the feet at all and makes them sexy lagi. hahahahah... love the straps.

and one more purchase..............................................................................that one to be revealed tomorrow. still can't believe it is here in the house and can't believe that i actually paid for that gigantic price tag. i can't believe it. but i think you guys can believe that i will do such thing huh?

let it sink in first.....first 24 hours effect........still blur.

so i am going to entertain you with some beanie photos instead.
you know the dog is well when he is glutton. mom was eating persimmon and he followed her wherever she went. sat there obediently wagging his tail.

look at that begging face and you can see few drops of his saliva on the collar.

we are still restraining his outdoor walk now. scared he will hurt his paws again. grandma said he still tries to scratch his eye area. this is the eye where the whole skin patch was bleeding and bruised. i hope hair will grow slowly and the skin there is not all dead.
he has not been shedding his hair recently so i guess it is good. he used to shed them everyday. after the vet came, he stopped. so what stop it? the new dog shampoo?? the injection? the healthier diet of no junk food???

ok i will leave now. i wonder whether i feel any regret for the BIG purchase today....hmmhhh......

no natasha. no alexa.

ok. i have made the decision regarding the bags.......

and the verdict is:

I AM NOT BUYING ANY.......for this year ;P

so no natahasha. no troubling people all the way in the united states.
at the moment...let me just lust for my alexa.

i think i will regret getting natasha when alexa is a much better design. but of course, it costs a lot more too. so i guess i just have to work harder and then just get it when i go to london. it is going to be a holiday cum shopping trip already. i can feel it in my bone.

in a way, it gives me a push to work harder next year kan? need to be very disciplined and strict. need to be healthy to fight. need to get the priorities right (BAGS!BAGS!BAGS!).

will see more bags tomorrow when i go to kl. will make it a bag window shopping trip with aniq.

on second thought, i am looking for a black clutch for dinner. i only have brown ones so when i attend dinner, the shades have to suit the brown bags only. no fun. i need black heels and black clutch so i can wear other colour dresses for dinners.

so will i shop for a bag tomorrow? depends on the bargain i guess. malaysia YES (year end sale)....let's see how good you are.

now it is alexa

still on the topic of bag.......bagaholic 'ter'-released.....help!!!

can't stop thinking about bags these 2 days....blame that natasha (read earlier post). letting the imagination run a bit is also a sort of escapism when the brain is turning numb from reading all those papers.

and suddenly....few hours ago....the idea of getting a natasha has switched to ALEXA. fyi, alexa is the bag featured above in different colours and texture and it is from the british brand mulberry which has just won a fashion award this year. i really go weak in the knees every time i see that bag.

sob sob sob! WOOOHOOOOO!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

how now? the trip to uk is next year. mulberry is a uk brand. i know they have an outlet store in bath but i dunno what kind of bag they store there and alexa being such an iconic bag of the brand, will they have it there?

and the price- its retail price is 3 times more expensive than natasha. but if you put 1 alexa among 5 natashas, i will definitely grab the alexa. confirm.

the desire to get natasha has decreased slightly when i found that the width of the bag is only 3". that is quite narrow if you check on the ruler.

shall i work harder to get my alexa? and i read that the uk government is keen on improving the pounds exchange rate next year. die lor....i better get my money fast and exchange them into pounds as soon as possible.

which colour will it be?

found these few colours for the bag i fell in lurve with this morning.
shall i get it??
i think i am going to check it in klcc this wednesday to see its depth, just to see how much it can hold.
which colour will it be?? from left- dark blue, desert olive, from top- coral, light green and black.
i don't like coral and desert olive because i already have few bags in brown shades. black is too serious.
so it is now down to dark blue or light green. light green might get stained easier and the creases should be quite visible on the leather. i don't have a blue bag yet.....but is that dark blue too serious?? or will it be more functional?

carmen......are you you reading this??? hint* hint*

love at first sight

yes yes yes.....i am in LURVE with this bag- natasha by marc from marc jacobs.

that green is just so lovely. you seldom see one bag in this colour.
i love how functional the bag is. oooh...i can imagine myself traipsing the streets of london and paris next summer with this bag.
i don't wanna travel with a backpack anymore. so unchic.
the size is just nice for a bottle of water, a small notebook and a camera and that important wallet of course.
i am sure the leather will be buttery and soft and i hope it is light.

now the problem- can someone help me get it from net-a-porter from the states please???? i am thinking of someone now......keeping my fingers crossed.

coffee and cakes

good morning.....okok...it is good afternoon now.

need a break from marking and my aunt has started watching another chinese tv series on tv, so i cannot take the noise distraction.

will have to move my marking station to upstairs later if i wanna get my work done. so far so good.

as this is the holidays and i am staying at home everyday, the daily diet has changed quite a bit too.

above is what i had for breakfast this morning. yup, no apple. but still a cup of nescafe to go.
aunt is baking non-stop almost everyday.....so it is eating and eating and eating.
i had chocolate brownie and japanese cheesecake. i got the recipe for the cheesecake from beatrice who made it last month and pronounced satisfaction. so as i have a baker at home, i just asked beatrice for the recipe lah.

http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dia/recipeID/2312/Recipe.cfm

yup, just click on the link above and you will get your cotton soft japanese cheesecake. very easy to make- according to aunt and beatrice. hahaha...my job is to eat.

oh, and that can of fitline powder? well, i have been complaining of numbness in the limbs every morning when i wake up, so aunt is suggesting taking that drink which should help my blood circulation and energised me. my hands and feet were kinda numb when i went for a jog at proton city yesterday too. but it felt great.....i completed 3 rounds of that lake there....woohoo! the tummy is much leaner and flatter immediately. hahaha.

well, that is all for today. some ppl have been wondering what i have been up to with the long silence. don't worry....i am still very much alive! so i just hope that my life will be interesting and i have something to blog about.

no news is good news

well, have not been writing because there has been nothing interesting at all. it is only sitting at home, watching some movies, reading newspapers and eating. am even lazy to do any exercise. and the weather has not been really motivating as well as all dark clouds gather by late noon and rain comes almost everyday.
those in england have snow everyday, we have rain here too everyday.

will be busy marking these few days as well. really wanna finish marking as soon as possible so i don't have to think about them.

this is my brother's new notebook and i am actually writing from this black thing now. he is using the pc upstairs. he got rm1500 subsidy from the company to get this. how lucky. this notebook is more than rm3000.
i kinda miss having a notebook around as well. when am i going to get one?? hmhh.....priority is to change a camera first. won't think about it.
and this is the dog so many ppl care about. he is still wearing that collar and i am not going to take it out till another week. the paw is getting better but there are still some pinkish sensitive spots under the paw. he is yearning for a walk outside but he can't go. he is eating regurlarly and also barking as usual. so no worries.
last but not least, i will be spending a merry abba christmas in genting highlands on 25 dec. mom bought the cheapest tickets for this concert, rm50 and she even got 50% discount. aiyoh.....everyone asked her why couldn't she get the rm100 one when she could get that much discount. aiyoh indeed. it just did not cross her mind as it was her first time getting concert tickets. well, i just hope that i won't be sitting at the smallest corner right on top of the arena of stars that night.

so, what are you plans for christmas?