Words of Wisdom from Women in My Life

Words of wisdom from Women in my Life

Mum

"If you do not speak up, you will always be just quiet and never heard"

"Wanting to look pretty is nothing to be embarassed about"

"Your black face (chinese term) says you dislike everyone/everything although you might not think like that"

"Girls don't have to act dumber to appeal to guys, just don't be proud or harsh when you are smart"

"You don't need to look pretty/sexy/beautiful, just presentable"

"Just because you don't have a boyfriend, it doesn't mean you are in any way lesser than others"

"Just because you are my daughter, you know you can come to me in times of failures/disappointment"

"Honesty is sometimes not easy but always the most appreciated approach"

"Remember - even a phone call means a lot"

YiMa

"A girl must know how to take care of herself and love herself - be it beautiful lingeries or a nice long massage"

"If you are only going to complain and do nothing about it, stop wasting my time and your time"

"You are you. He is him. Just because you are in a relationship, it doesn't mean that your identities have to be gone"

"There is no need to be too bothered by what others say - as long as the people who matters understand and you are at peace with who you are"

"Never believe in hairdressers, there is never volume in your hair when they promise it"

"Do not be too harsh on yourself, you only live once"

"Never be too angry over someone else, you do not deserve that wrinkle or lost of appetite"

"Dieting is one thing, appreciating food while you can is another and both are equally important"

Aunt Bing

"Be thankful for what you have cause the future can always change or take something away from you"

"Learn to rely on your family"

"This is tough but it is sometimes necessary to learn to let go of your pride"

"Sometimes, there are things which you have no choice but do"

"As a girlfriend, one must know when to give in and when to stand up for oneself"

Grandma (Porky)

"Your grandpa was handsome and really nice, but it all changed after marriage, I wonder what happened"

"Life was never easy with five kids and a useless husband but those are your own kids and own husband"

"I am so old and I never thought I would ever get the chance to see real snow, so I am happy"

"You get bullied for being lesser than others, but the truth is, only those who are arrogant enough to see or pinpoint this weakness of yours will do the bullying"

"It is very important to be educated and see more of the world, then you can tell me about it"

Grandma (Sibuga)

"A girl must know how to act like a lady"

"You are obedient and nice, that is all that matters to a grandma"

"Cooking is a good thing to learn, to teach to your kids next time and tell them your grandma used to cook this all the time"

"I cannot read and write, but that does not mean I know a lot less than others"

"Do not be blinded by wealth/career, a woman needs to find a good man and love and marry"

"You might think you don't need a man now, but why not find a good companion and see your own kids"

Breathe new

I took a break over the weekend to take a step back and look at my life. Ever since returning here, I have been committed to the mission of jobhunting and conserving of resources. In fact, I must say, I was so focused on these missions that I was suppressing my desires and feeling guilty whenever I had too much fun - all the while thinking that it was totally natural to feel so.

Examining my days in slow-mo over the month, the days were not unhappy nor were they depressing.

Going to Clayton town for groceries. Catching up with friends. Thinking of what to cook for dinner.

Sweating off in the gym. Drifting away to the beat of my favourite music. Indulging in my own thoughts as I walk slowly home.

Cooking up a feast. Waiting for everyone to come back. Talking and talking over dinner. With Ray, LiLet, WenJi and sometimes even Olivia, Yikki and Daniel. Changing into flowery sleepwear. Spending time with everyone in the house - gossipping, talking our hearts out, whining, laughing. Sweet dreams.

I honestly think that these days were not unhappy nor depressing. Just relaxing and slow. Or maybe, mundane, boring and unsatisfying for the young and restless ones - like me.

However, there had been a lot of events which brightened up some days. Sending a jolt a small electrical jolt to this otherwise very still system I am currently living in.

LiLet's bunnies, which she kept at our place for a while, gave birth to 5 very tiny black bunnies.

Olivia invited us over to her new place for dinner. Amy and I made it a 'beach party'. Well, we 2 were the only ones in the beach party style though.

Everyone was nice enough to understand and keep me excited with small gestures like this. Telling me about their day, tempting me with supper-run, organising gatherings.

Especially Mr Tan. Not the most exciting or active person in the world but he had been nothing short of amazing during these frustrating days. Putting up with my emotional rollercoaster, doing silly stunts lame people like me like-y, giving me reasons to enjoy myself, bringing me out for a breathe of air.

Just before he went off outstation at Deep Lead (I had been telling everyone it was at 'New Lead'), we went to this Japanese Restaurant called Yokohama in Glen Waverley. It was not bad!

You see, I came to a realisation after evaluating these days in the past month. I was being suppressive and in denial of most of my desires, be it highly sinful ones like a PSP with FF Dissidia in it or plain innocent ones like going window shopping with the girls. What I should do is to secure a job.

What I overlooked was - What I should so is secure a job, but that is not the only thing I should or could do.

As I suppress myself, I could feel my energy draining away. Job-hunting was no longer of passion or interest or hopes, but of duty or frustration and a matter of automation. Other things I do like cooking and exercising for example, were no longer of fun or enjoyment, but of to kill time and make myself feel useful.

Where was my passion to live?

Do I want these days to be a matter of killing time or making myself feel useful?

The truth is these days are mundane and boring. I feel restless at times. But the days were only so because I let them be so.

My perspective is all that caused it. Again, these days were mundane and boring but I am the only one who can decide how exciting my own days can be. There is only so much I can do each day but I alone control how passionate I can be at doing all that I can.

As long as I am living every moment, with passion, I am sure these days will be worth a story.

Right after the weekend of realisation, I could feel a turning point in my life. A fresh new start is what I am looking forward to making happen. A lot happened during this very weekend. Everything based in reality but yet so surreal and inspiring, after processed by the mind.

Breath.

That means, dressing up on a beautiful Saturday morning and crusing out with a girlfriend. WenJi needed to go for a haircut so I tagged along. We always go to this hairdresser in Prahran called Taka. The place is called Tsumiki and is the cosiest and prettiest saloon I have ever seen. Other than that, they have the latest ViVi magazines and $10 fringe cuts. Despite the low price, Taka is always so detailed and attentive. It makes it feel like a $100 fringe cute. But for whole-head trimming, it costs $70 eek. I learnt it the hard way.

WenJi with the tall gold rimmed mirror, chandelier and the morning light from the tall windows.

A small gold rimmed mirror with my legs.

I love the fire-wood place near the mirror.

The view from the window.

After that WenJi suggested lunch at Laurent Patisserie. So we sped all the way to Chadstone to share an iced chocolate and two precious desserts. Mine was a bombastically chocolate piece called 'Christine' while WenJi's was a nice slice of custard and fine layers of pastry. Olivia joined us a while later and we embarked on a shopping sessions exclusively for girls.

After coming home at 5 pm, WenJi and I went out for a jog at a trail near our house. The official jog ended in 20 minutes but the geniuses got lost after taking a supposingly reliable detour. We touched the wall-thing we always see while driving along M1, WenJi screamed her lungs out when barked at by a black puppy before apologising to the dog's owner who was making up at her front door, went uphill and downhill and crossed M1 on an overhead bridge.

I have never been that happy to see a car before. So the unofficial time of our jog was 50 minutes.

Seeing how I spent this Saturday, I would have been suffocated by guilt by the end of the day but I was genuinely happy on that day. A bit guilty still, but I felt like I could breathe all over again.

Collaborations

I love collaborations. The creative ones, the odd ones, the appaling ones, the anticipated ones -they are always exciting as the result can be top-notch, all-hype-no-oomph, unnoticed or disastrous!

With every collaboration, comes a risk.

Positive brand + positive brand = 'Positivity double up!' or 'We expected much more from you!'

Positive brand + negative brand = 'Positivity up for both!' or 'The bad one still sucks!' or 'The good one is now sucky as well!'

Negative brand + negative brand = 'Positivity up up up!' or '. . . . . what is that?' or 'Sucked doubly!'

Financial note: Higher risk = higher returns

Loretta's note: Higher returns = More collaborations = More excitement

Economic note: More excitement = More spending = Economy stimulation!

Conclusion: Collaborations = Happy ending for all (Well, except for the sucky ones *sniff for them*)

The very latest collaboration which caught my eye is the one between Hello Kitty and MAC Cosmetics. I think this combination fits purrrrrr-fectly. Hello Kitty's image is glammed up while MAC borrowed some of Hello Kitty's girlishness and cuteness. This is a killer combination to any breathing female out there, totally helpless and defenseless against the mouthless little kitten face staring at you from gorgeously coloured cosmetics. It makes you think,"I wanna give it a home!"

I especially love the little Hello Kitty stamp near the tip of the lipstick. You are kissing Hello Kitty awwww.

One of the most successful collaboration I know of would be the Kingdom Heart series. Disney and Square-Enix. Did anyone actually see this happen? I, for sure, did not. After all, Disney always release *ahem* less-than-good games (my own humble opinion) and Square-Enix is known universewide for its mindblowing Final Fantasy series. Furthermore, Cloud with Donald Duck? Mm hei gua.....? And an exaggerated name like Kingdom Hearts!?

But. It. Worked. Big. Time.

With 2 Kingdom Hearts installment out and a few other side games, 3 versions of Kingdom Hearts 3 coming out soon, Utada Hikaru singing the main themes and fanboys gushing "Kairi....", I believe it was a success. It was at first weird seeing Donald Duck talking to Leon (Squall) and Goofy hurting my Cloud, but oh well, the rest is history.

Let's continue on with Square-Enix. The most very extremely exciting and torturous collaboration in my opinion is - Cloud and Panasonic. I can cry remembering how I wanted wanted wanted that COOL phone.

After seeing this poster, some of you might think, "Ceh, he is just a poster boy for it." But no, my silly friends! Watch this!

Cloud used it in the movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Chances are. . . he is still using the same one now! Anyway. Erm. This is the COOLEST collaboration ever. No reasons needed, just COOL!

Whew, I need to COOL down. Ta!

Life lessons reality don't teach you

I dont mind having a son who has a love for anime, manga, superheroes, magic powers, video games, saving the world, etc.

Although many parents, or even people in general, see this as a mere obsession that wastes time and money. I personally think this little obsession teaches us a lot in life which reality can never do.

For one, it makes me believe in myself more. One of the oldest theme in animes/mangas/video games is the victory attained by a nobody through his unwavering faith in himself/herself. No matter how weak and defeated I feel at any point of my life, the thought of fighting through the storm to reach the peak of the mountain, always (!!) makes me feel lively again. And you only hear cheesy lines like, "Trust in your inner strength and the light shall shine upon you" from these people. Cheesy but it works!! *sniff sniff*

Like Cloud's Buster Sword - not only a weapon but symbolizes dreams and friendship.

Kenshin's determination and strength helped him attain his ultimate goal in life.

Not only that, it makes me believe in more things. Which is great. Rather than being cynical or sarcastic towards people or emotions by thinking, "XX must have been a rat and FFK-ed me, there is no such thing as best friends", it is so natural to see the other way like this, "Although XX did not turn up and I am disappointed but I am sure he has his own reasons. Nakama dakara!!!!" This is at times, applicable to objects *ahem*. I don't know about others but I see strength in swords and serenity in magic powers *dreamy eyes*

Tidus dared to defy all norms.

I think being like this gives you the energy to do anything.

If it is baking, you feel like doing it like Yakitate Japan - creating new buns with the solar hands you believe you own!

If it is exercising, you wanna train like them guys in Slam Dunk - thoroughly sweaty and high in spirit!

If it is bumming around, you wanna look like Luffy from One Piece - nakama dakara!!!!

If it is a 9-5 office day, you wanna channel Hiro Nakamura - a Yatta for every given task.

"Bonds" and "Friends" - my favourite themes of all time.

Anyone who knows me would probably think I am a bit too animated in real life. Or maybe even in my writing style. My mum said these exaggerated facial expressions would probably cause me to have more wrinkles on my face. Bah. This makes me more interested in talking to others and allows me to express myself in a more accurate manner *nods*. I truly believe that it makes a conversation more interesting, funny and 'sincere'. Nod with me, please.

Little actions spice up otherwise wordy conversations.

Positive, positive, positive. One of the traits I got from animes/games - always be positive! No matter how grim, how destructive, how ridiculous the situation is, there is always hope for a victorious and glorious tomorrow. This might sound stupid but after years of such training, I generally do not worry over something for more than 30 mins ("Should the exam come, I just have to win with whatever I got"), do not get first hand negative thoughts ("I just applied for a job in Japan, if I move to Japan then what am I gonna cook for dinner?" instead of "I won't get the job for sure. . . ") and do not let little failures in life trouble me for long ("A small rock like this, won't obstruct my way towards success! Even if a boulder appears, I have my sword to cut through it!"). And I love how all others who think alike emit positive aura whenever I risk being overtaken my negativity, "Believe in the power of hope" said a certain otaku to me once.

Nothing obstructs Sanzo's path. Loved the lessons from this old priest!

When you are positive, even zombies appear to be "heavily wounded old men"!

Animes/games exposed me to a few whole new worlds - game consoles, art, game music.

Game consoles: The many different kinds with different perks. It's always great to be able to hold a conversation about consoles and the joy it brings to your life.

Art: I always say, mangas/animes are not the same as comics/cartoons. If one cares enough to pay attention, one will find manga to be an absolute work of art. From character design, facial expressions to backgrounds, they are all carefully crafted to bring out what the author seeks to express.

Music: Some of the most impressive music pieces ever are from games/animes. The best pieces to get emo with *sniff*

The beautiful and always emo-fying piece from FF10.

Hmmm, that is a bit too much for a cold morning like this. But I hope you get my drift.

On a cold morning like this, I don't mind having a son who tells me, "Let my Fira be with you, Mummy".

Yours Truly

"I am glad I was able to meet you."

This is something I would wanna say to a lot of special someones who stayed with me and supported me throughout this tough journey called 'life'.

"I am thankful I have you by my side."

This is something I would wanna say to that very special someone who I am sure knows without a doubt, these very true words are for him and only him.

Love can take many different forms. There are two general categories - one you were born with and one you meet with the help of destiny.

While the former kind is amazing, I personally think the latter kind is just, beautiful.

To meet that very special one out of all the billions of people out there.
To get to know each other in a way unique to both of you.
To fall in love and to be fallen in love with.
To build a bond just between two very people in this whole wide world.
To see the laughter, tears, anger and fear of each other.

To create a world of two of you.

This is the kind of love you found, nurtured, protected, worked hard for and celebrated.
This is the kind of love you wish to bring upon your future generation.
This is the kind of love which makes you look at him/her, or even a vase, and sigh . . .

"I am so thankful I have him by my side."

Small changes I enjoy

have you visited hikari*s closet-o? (click here!)

* * * * * * * *

What is the best way for an instantenous make-over or to feel brand new?

A change in hairstyle.

In - colour, length, fringe, curl, softness.

Whenever I see or foresee a change in my life - I go for an extreme change in haircut.
Whenever I see my life being too static - I go for an extreme change in haircut.

Bah, who am I kidding?

I just love to feel brand new and see different sides of myself.

The last trip back to Malaysia, I straightened by hair - first time since before college. And I lurved it - despite being called a failed Cleopatra. It has been more than a month since so. . .

. . I curled my own hair using WenJi's curler! And I lurved it- despite the curls being here and there and in and out!





I shall be curling my hair very often - I have a strong feeling. I wonder why.

Isn't it great to be able to get a change of scenery from time to time? Same theory here.
Isn't it great to feel pampered from time to time? Exactly!

A small change like hairstyle - can make you feel anew and fresh - without too much of the shock or horror or fear element usually associated with change.

Despite the curly hair, I am still the same inside *shrugs*







I still get excited and curious about extremely coloured drinks. I lurve my Pepsi Blue - I feel like my cool factor goes up 1000x everytime I am with my Pepsi Blue. In a transparent glass, of course. This here is Ramune Hawaii.

The smart-cut engineering approach to an eclectic blue drink. Analyze, observe.

The curly-haired pop idol approach to an eclectic blue drink. Smile, wink.

Besides that, I still lurve cooking creatively and indulging *tears in eyes*

Grabbed these pancakes which were on special - just pancakes? Not good enough. I prepared apples - apple crumble style with dried apricots (no raisins T.T). Not good enough. A scoop of vanilla ice-cream for each pancake.
Complete perfection. So much so, no one remembered to take a picture of my hard work *sniff sniff*

hikari*s closet-o

*Drum Roll*

After days of hard work, I can finally unveil to you all a little side project I came up with:

hikari*s closet-o

(click on it!!)

What is this about?

~

Well, as a Loretta Lo, I have a love for almost everything fashion or in general terms, cute. I adore choosing my soulmate outta the galore of items out there, bringing it home in a nice bag, ironing it carefully while gazing at its details, hanging it up proudly in my wardrobe and probably, wearing it out with a heart filled with joy. Why 'probably'?

~

Well, as a Loretta Lo, I have the tendency to: forget about a certain dress, keep a top just for gazing purposes, fluctuate in body size, buy eventhough it clashes with my style/other outifts/body type, have a constant need to make space in my wardrobe, receive items which are not my style from others.

~

And as a Loretta Lo, I grow attached to these babies of mine. So, throwing out is not an option! I much prefer to pass it on to people who I know will treat them well and make good use of them after me *Sniff sniff* You won't believe how hard it was for me to pick out the items this time.

~

So, hikari*s closet-o is a place where I sell items pre-owned and pre-loved by me to another loving home (you!!).

**

Why hikari*s closet-o?

~

hikari* is the name of this blog, my alter ego. 'closet-o' essentially means 'closet' *woah, surprise*

**

Why should I visit hikari*s closet-o?

~

It is just a click away *sniff sniff*. Furthermore, you can find bargains there and seeing how this site is another brainchild of mine, you can expect to see surprises coming up! The best thing is I plan to make this site really personal, so we can just discuss about fashion over there.

**

Finally, so what now?

~

Click on this here for a surprise. Surprise mou?

. . . Stay tuned.

hikari* is growing. . . . watch this space! Another hikari* mutant is about to be born!

Stay tuned.

From freaky scientist Lo.

. . .Till then, how can I leave out the opportunity to put 'Stay Tuned' here for your very enjoyment.




Oh and also a few of the new residents in my brain lately. Dominating, conquering in a loving way.

Satisfying the Shopaholic this Recession

It was the VIP sale at Chadstone yesterday. From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., almost all stores offered discounts ranging from 15-25%. Which I must say is a tad bit unexciting when one is used to the 50-70-80% discounts in big red fonts during Mega Sale in Malaysia. And even more unexciting when one vowed to not shop up a splash until she lands a job.

But but but!! I found a good way to substitute the salvation you gain from purchasing during a trip to the mall :-D

What is the big plan, you ladies-stuck-in-the-recession ask?

Trying on clothes - preferably in a group. So you can proceed to show your friends, take pictures of yourself and enjoy the momentary hug of new fabric - with less guilt.

What is my damn problem, you lovely-ladies/gentlemen-working-in-a-busy-store ask?

Well. Everyone loves to see themselves looking good, no? I am sure you all will understand this theory when you are not working in you own store :-)

Not only do you get to see yourself all dolled up without the outgoing of precious cash, you get to have a mini dress up party with you friends, amuse/hint/encourage/convince your boyfriend to get you that special dress which landed a place in your heart, experiment with different styles and ooh la la, most importantly, keep the spirit to look good alive and kicking hard!

There is this downturn that I am sure every girl experiences when she stops dressing up or paying attention to her appearance (deliberately or not), where she suddenly finds herself not knowing how to dress up, losing her style and confidence, neglecting her body and forgetting that she deserves more love for herself.

So this method serves as a healthy and economical reminder to us all (not only ladies!) - remember your fabulosity!

The conclusion: I went to Chaddy last night, tried on a galore of clothes, paraded around even in a pair of heels they have in Bardot with friends, educated Ray on how shopping can be interesting and satisfied my own new-clothes-craving, all at the expense of $14.

Proud of myself, immensely. Hmmm, who bought a wig again? *evil cackle!*

Anyway, I 'updated' my style a bit. Ahem ahem.

What I think is sexy lately:

Body hugging dresses with an exposed zip (not hidden ones) trailing the length of your back.

Body hugging beige or any neutral coloured dresses - the nude colour explains all!

(I loved both dresses but both were a size bigger so, sigh)

P/S: Do not let the my face or the fact that I was the one wearing those clothes, dispel the credibility of the sexiness of those 2 dresses. I tried hard wuwuwu.

In fact, after this healthy and economical shopping trip, I couldn't wait to get back into my sneakers and get fitter for my next trip :-)

Fresh

One of the things I love about being in Australia: F R E S H.


When I came over here, I was looking forward towards: a fresh start - new environment, new poeple, new place, new prospects.


In fact everything seems so much more fresher here.


The air, the fruits, the vegetables, the flowers.

I started having new likes: grocery shopping, cooking, colourful rows of fruits, meeting new people and so on.

I started having new dislikes: routine, mundane days, lack of passion, and so on.

Out of my first year in Aussie, I can say that I learnt that I am someone who desires fresh changes and passion and movement. Maybe one of the reason was cause that very year, I was turning 20 and for the first time I really heard my biological clock ticking. Woopsie.

It was not that apparent then, but it is now.

I do not want to go through any day without really 'feeling' the day.

I do not want to sit through the whole day: absent minded, empty, felt nothing.

Even if the day was uneventful, I want to make it a day I 'lived'.

If I am going to be sad, I want to feel every bit of it.

If I am going to be happy, I want to show every bit of it.

If I am going to do cook, I want to cook something interesting.

If I am going to run, I want to sweat along to my favourite music.

If I am going to spend time with someone, I want to make every moment out of it.

I want to leave no space for boredom in my life.

I want to appreciate every single moment, make the best out of my time.

Certainly we do not grow any younger. The time used to sit around stoning is the time we wasted - no memories, no discoveries, no feelings, no emotions.

I am growing to loathe the feeling of sitting still doing nothing feeling nothing - I feel like I might go stale doing so. Like these fresh capsicums here, I would rather be cooked and served hot than to end my life as a stale being at the very same place.

Terms with hidden adoration

There are all these terms coined for characteristics of certain body parts of ladies, and sometimes even to men. While most people usually perceive such remarks negatively, upon close examination, there is a probability that these terms were create originally out of adoration!

Muffin Top

". . . term used to describe the phenomenon of overhanging flesh when it spills over the waistline of pants or skirt in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing. . ."
- taken from Wikipedia.org

Muffins are probably the cutest things ever to me - the colourful frostings, the enchanting smell - why would anyone think of using 'muffin' to describe something he/she find unappealing? Especially on a cold day like today *drool*

Love Handles

". . . a layer of fat that is deposited around a person's midsection, especially visible on the sides over the abdominal external oblique muscle. They are called "love handles" because they provide a soft place to rest one's hand while one's arm is around a person. . . "
- taken from Wikipedia.org

The explanation explains it all (pun!). Anything described with the word 'love' cannot be that bad! I can so imagine this term coined by a cute British gentleman with a sexy accent to describe the lady love he was crazy in love with.

Bingo Wings/ Butterfly Wings (cantonese)

". . . describe the build-up of fat and/or extra skin that hangs from the underside of the upper arms. . . "
-taken from Wikipedia

Hello? Bingo - winning, triumph, fun! Butterfly - beauty, feminity, charm! Wings - angels, freedom, serenity! Enough said, I believe.

Jelly Belly

". . .describing the abdominal area displaying flabbiness or being untoned. . . "
- taken from Loretta's Dictionary

Jelly Belly is also the official name of the most famous and delicious and fun jelly beans in MY world. Jellies on the other hand, are colourful, tasty and a must-have in all parties. I can imagine a cheekily smiling British man rubbing his beloved's tummy on a lazy Sunday morning, still in his bed hair, coining this perfect term!

Panda Eyes

". . .describing dark circles around the eyes. . . "
- taken from Loretta's Dictionary

What do you think of when you hear the word 'Panda'? Let me guess: cute, precious, valuable, rare, protected, loved? There you have it. A heavily layered British probably made up this term while rubbing his love's red cheeks on a cold cold winter night, after she had to work OT.

Orange Peel (cantonese)

"Cellulite"
- taken from Mum.

Orange is another great creation of Mother Nature. I love oranges, everyone loves oranges. So, it must be born outta love.

. . . And the list goes on.

The thing is, chances are all these terms were originally coined out of affection, you know the silly little things lovers do. But, due to low self esteem we might have perceived them negatively. And in turn, we used them negatively which caused it to be perceived more negatively by the use-e. Then the negative feedback loop appeared.

From another perspective - who doesn't have a little muffin top? Love handles during winter? Butterfly wings sometimes? Panda eyes during assignment week? A bit of cellulite?
. . . or is it just me. *gasp!!*

Take a few personal examples of mine.

Arang Hitam/ Black Charcoal (Cantonese)

". . . used to describe the skin colour of a person expecially when he/she is tanned. . . "
- taken from Choo's Dictionary.

In fact this term was coined by him buring a BBQ at Eric's house. And charcoals appear to be the central element of most significant importance during a BBQ. All together now, "Awwwww. . ." Now if only Choo was British, with an accent, with a cheeky grin, with to die for bed hair, with strong biceps, with warm hands, with Hugh Dancy's. . oops, hoho.

Then there was this incident where my Sister complained to my Grandma saying that I said her legs resembled those of a wild boar's. My Grandma being the kind and loving person she is, answered in the most sincere way:

"No such thing. Your legs resemble those of an oxen's. Strong, sturdy and hard."

See? It is all up to your own interpretation :-)

Taggggged.

I was tagged by MizManda to do this personality quiz and the verdict is. . . . . it is kinda accurate! Woo. . so with my results here, everyone will know me better!



Your view on yourself:



You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.



(I am obsessed with efficiency!)



The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:



You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.



(I cannot be angry at that special someone for too long before breaking into a laugh due to his 'lack of logic' usually)



Your readiness to commit to a relationship:



You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.



(I treasure commitments)



The seriousness of your love:



You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love.



(I used to fear wasting my youth and time in relationships that fail)



Your views on education:



Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.



(Definitely.)



The right job for you:



You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.



(I came to realize I am quite stubborn in trying to get into the line of job I desire to be in and I am someone who needs security)



How do you view success:



You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.



(I am scared of failures. Something I am still trying to overcome)



What are you most afraid of:



You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.



(This is 100% true. In fact, I think I told my friend AiJia about this before on a fateful night in the Promenade Hotel in KK when every one else in the room was asleep blissfully)



Who is your true self:



You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.



(Random people do come up to me, from time to time, and talk about just anything. Which I really enjoy and really appreciate. I love talking and love getting to know a person better. I just love that process)

Gothic Lolitta

Remember me telling you guys about my worst day ever? Well, I have pictorial evidence to prove it.

See how upset I looked? Just like a screencap out of a really saddest scene of the saddest movie ever in the history of sad movies. Can you imagine? *sulk sulk*

But I am totally alright now! One has to know how to pick oneself up, right-o! So I went out with 13 others for a movie which was cute as a button, Confessions of a Shopaholic. Well, not the funniest movie ever, but definitely charming in its own simplistic way. Isla Fisher was amazingly convincing playing her part and brought so much life into the character - I am grinning to myself thinking of her. Hugh Dancy was charming, charming, charming with an accent! - I am drooling thinking of him. So go go go and watch this movie now!

I went to the gym today wearing a new top meant for exercise I got from my YiMa. Surprisingly, for the very first time in my life, I thought I looked goth. GOTH.

And believe me, I am seriously not emo/sad/depressed anymore.

I do look goth, don't I? (Somehow this looks a bit too Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly and I am getting a bit scared being alone now)

In fact, I think I looked so goth that I didn't even need to try to look emo-ful.

Like screencaps out of the most emo scene from the most emo movie ever within the emo genre. I have never looked more emo! In fact, it was so emo that I thought it was cool.

Goth + Loretta = Gothic Lolitta? Cool.

After all that coolness, let me spread some joy to everyone :-) through pictures.

I LOVE EASTER. For the holidays! For the road trips! For the Easter Camp in 2006! For the devilishly tempting chocolates!

Look at all these chocolates - bunnies, chicks, small eggs, medium eggs, large eggs, bombastically large eggs - do I see some drooling? Oh maybe it is just me!

I especially love the ones from specific brands such as Lindt (they have the prettiest!), Cadbury (they have the most variety!) and so on. To see the bunny version of KitKat and maybe, the egg version of Cherry Ripe - you can feel your love and passion for chocolates burning all the calories it brings. Calories? What calories, it's just love, my dear.

Life with tons of chocolates is like a blooming lily. Just beautiful.

Times when I fly

What do you do when the floor you are standing on crumbles into nothingness?

"Look, ma, I can fly!"

That is true, one can only grow stronger upon disappointments in life.

I always think that as long as one has people who care about them in life, they will improve.

When there are people who care about you, they will make sure you do not go astray or get cornered into one of life's dead ends. When you do end up in an indesirable state of life, these people will make sure you stnad up again with support and encouragement. Like a positive feedback loop, one can only improve - smile brighter, look prettier, go further in life.

If you have people who care about you, this must mean that you care about them as well. For who would cherish such time, effort and attention to one who doesn't deserve any of them? So, those who are improving are those who care. Those who realize that time gone cannot be redeemed. Those who appreciate how important others are.

So this is a positive feedback cycle that goes on and on.
To be cared, you have to care.

Sometimes, you see or hear of stories where one receives so much attention and love when he or she does not deserve so. This is probably from parents (unconditional love), partners in life (uncontrolable love), or any other source/form - but the root of this is just: luck. They are lucky to have such parents. They are lucky to have such a partner. But, luck runs out. Or, at least from my perspective, luck is a bonus from hard work.

Sooner or later, these people will lose the care or love they have so taken granted of.

Be more aware. Pay more attention. Show more care. Cherish every moment. Live every emotion.
You never know when the other person is going to disappear forever, from your life.

*****

I am really lucky to have some really good friends around me. Not purely luck, we would not still be friends had we not made the effort to keep in touch, regardless of being half a continent away or fashion-sense wise a thousand light years away.

After my worst day ever (yesterday), someone sang me a nice tune and told me that it is alright to cry before cheering me up again with funny high school jokes and 'promises'.

After reading about my 'Updates' post, someone took the effort to message me on msn, asking me not to give up and to continue believing in myself.

After seeing my bizarre ideas struck out of boredom, someone actually encouraged me to go ahead and made me feel better by sharing his cheesier and cornier ideas.

After seeing a sad emoticon, someone messaged me to tell me things will be alright even before knowing what was wrong with me.

After receiving an sms about my worst day ever, someone was nice enough to tell me how much worse her day was and that we should never bow down to Black Fridays.

*****

It might have been my worst day ever yesterday, but I am going to make today the total opposite. Be it rain or thunderstorm (the current weather).

Those were the days

I have grown to love workwear. What used to feel like dowdiness, inflexibility and plain boredom, all gone! There is so much you can do with workwear and definitely an area of dressing up which I have never ventured into!

I am taking every chance to dress up formally/semi-formally. I cannot wait to start my internship *yay!*

A few side effects coming from this new love of mine:

1) I think my other clothes are a bit too childish (hello kitty-ful t-shirt, peko-peko t-shirt)

2) I feel like the tuck-in+high-waisted combo all the time for almost everything.

3) I dream of myself walking in the city looking smug all the time.

I took that picture yesterday and I was dressing up for - - - - - a career fair! (Don't go 'Bah!' on me! ROAR) Yani told me to go in semi-formal wear. So. . .ta-da! I see that as semi-formal, don't you?

Quoted from Yiki last night, "Waking up an hour earlier to dress up properly can make a person feel good and glad for the whole day while sleeping that extra hour and dressing up in a hurry can make a person feel flustered for the whole day." Again, the conclusion is (which Yiki and I said at the same time like some choir duo), "There are no ugly girls, just lazy girls."

So judging from the pictures, I was feeling rather good. Walking out of my house and to university. Soaking up the sun. Feeling the breeze.

Going to uni in formal wear, erm okay, I meant semi-formal wear, gave me a different feeling. I was not going there for studies but for business purposes (career fair haha). There is a form of empowerment you feel when you are dressed professionally.

I sighed with a smile when I saw this building where we met so many influential people, gave nerve-wrecking presentations and most importantly, learnt from two of the wisest people ever.

But, together with this new-found self and attitude, come reality hits.

These pictures are all antique-fied cause it feels like an era which passed me by centuries ago*tears*

Walking to uni with friends, dressed in whatever way you want.

The bustling crowd near campus centre.

Being in a big group of friends, taking control of a certain corner in campus center.

Gang-complaining about the food quality and price in uni.

Saying 'Hi!' or 'Oh my God!!" to almost every one in uni.

Seeing familiar faces everywhere in the uni.

Those were the days. Sigh. Then it started raining. The breeze became howling wind.

The worst part is, not being able to indulge in oogling cute guys without feeling guilty or creepy myself!

Those were the days! SIGH!