Hearts & Darts

If I could turn back time....

2012-01-03T20:09:00.000+08:00

New year just started and I don't exactly want it to be 2011 again. I mean, it was a good year, but am really looking forward to new experiences.

It 's just that....I wish I could turn back time a little bit. At least a few weeks or days back. It goes like this......

There is, no...There was this cat, everyday wondering around my office area. A very friendly cat, in fact, friendlier than my own cats. Whenever I'm out to get a breather or fresh air, the cat will almost certainly come to me and rub its face on my calf. Not that it wanted food cos it had food. It's just plain 'manja' and wants to be tummy rubbed. And whenever I'm stressed out, it's always there to hear me out. Not that it understood anything, but I felt like it was listening to me.

So, I became very fond of that cat. And worse, a little bit attached...without actually realising it. In fact, I think many people did get attached to that cat...especially the cobbler and the laundry aunty.

Yesterday, just the 2nd day of the new year, it met with an accident. A car accidentally squished it while reversing, when it was sleeping under that car. That cat was badly injured. My boss was there just a few hours after the accident and I was only told about the cat this afternoon. :(

I hoped it will be okay until I received my Boss' phone call. He sort of took charge of the cat (he adored it too) but had to attend a meeting this afternoon...so, he asked for my favour to speak to other tenants under my office lot (it's a shophouse), whom are attached to the cat as well, if it's okay to put the cat to 'sleep' as the surgery would costs us at least RM3000, with no guarantee that it will survive.

Hearing that, I knew it was extremely bad. Spoke to other tenants, tried to think of ways to save it, but at the end of the day, we decided it's best that we didn't prolong its suffering. I went to the vet clinic, just under my office, to see the doctor. At first, I wasn't inclined to see it but when the doctor asked if I want to, I couldn't resist. I knew what will happen to it, at the very least I could have a proper goodbye.

I was surprised to see its condition. It was extremely severe. The head crushed slightly on the right side, right eye popped out, jaw fractured and almost the whole left side of the body had no fur. I almost burst into tears but I tried to contain it. When I spoke to the doctor, and told him of our decision, I found myself on the verge of crying.

So I signed the euthanasia consent form, made payment and left the premises. I couldn't bare seeing it any longer, in case if I changed my mind. I felt numb. The unthinkable numbness. I went upstairs, and then to my room, and cried.

I thought, "I just took away a life". A life that brought me happiness, even for awhile. Most of the time, even until now, I felt guilty.

When my Boss came back, I cried even worse and shared my concerns. He comforted me and said that it's alright, it wasn't my fault and asked me to take comfort that the cat is no longer suffering from that pain. He also apologised that I had to sign the 'death warrant', when it could be him...

So, little cat...I understand that some called you "Kuning" and that was the name I put in THE form. I haven't had the chance to get to know you better, bought you a nice treat, or even gave you a nickname. I've been thinking of taking your picture and show it off but it was not meant to be. All I can remember now is how you looked like on your almost last breath and the memories of you and I shared.

I will deeply miss your demise, Kuning. It's a huge loss...my 'fresh air' time will never be the same. RIP. :((((

2012: It's just the beginning....

2012-01-03T10:54:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year, 2012!!

Phew, 2011 passed by so quickly and all I could remember that it was a blast! :) Went to 3 beach vacations, danced on a bar top, found love and changed job are amongst the most memorable (life) events.

This year, my wishes are to be promoted, to get higher salary increment, to have that tanned skin I've always wanted, to buy lots of make-up, to receive lots of bonus and hopefully, to have a lasting love.

My resolutions: To work harder and smarter, to participate in more family/friends' events, to be more tolerant and patient, to manage my finances well and to drink lots of water.

Anyways, I hope that 2011 has served you well and 2012 will treat you nicely. ;)

Let's get Naked!!!

2011-12-31T18:11:00.003+08:00

It's almost the ending of year 2011. I'd like to recap my past events, good and bad memories as well as my achievements, but this is not the best time to do so...considering that I still have a few hours to go before this year is sealed off.

So, I guess I should write a post about other things. Of unrelated things. Like make-up.

I am not a huge fan of make-up. Nor do I know a thing about make-up and its techniques. But fate has brought me to Sephora and taught me a thing or two about it.

It began when my demanding sister demanded for the Sephora make-up set as her birthday gift. Since when do you get to choose your birthday presents, right? But being a nice sister I am, I said OK. :P

Dropped by at Sephora Bukit Bintang on one afternoon and was told that the sets are sold out like 3 weeks ago, in just 3-4 hours!!! Man, I should've known better. Left with no other choice and since I was already there, I decided to get something for her from Sephora anyway. After browsing through tonnes of make-ups and colours, I finally got her a make-up set too, but a mini one. (Will post on that soon).

And then I thought, why not get something for myself? (Note: I've not bought a proper make-up since I don't remember when!). I'm always the neutral-coloured-eyeshadow wearer but I've always wanted to try smoky eyes, so my options were narrowed down to those criteria. Then, I stumbled upon this:

Urban Decay Naked Palette. I just love all that 12 colours!!! And the palette came with a UD famous Eyeshadow Primer Potion and a brush...for free! :)))

The colours:

Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar

Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse

Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

But then, I didn't know what to do with it. So I did some research on the product as well as the tutorials on ways of utilising that product. I realised that this palette is sooooo versatile, I can create many looks out of it. Natural look, no make-up look, smoky eyes look and even drag queen look. Hehehehe!

And to my surprise, this is one of the make-up products that is most sought-after by the make-up lovers. It can go sold out within just a few hours! I guess I was lucky to get a hold of this, eh? :D

My favourite tutorial came from Jen of frmheadtotoe. Besides her blog, she also has her vlogs in youtube.

So, after watching her tutorial, I created this look myself...inspired by her idea. Enjoy the pics!

My 'naked+natural+no make-up' look (i.e. bare faced...hehe!)

Tadaaaaa!!! After a make over.

Close up look:

**I used Buck and Darkhorse for the lids and Virgin for the inner corner of the eyes**

As for other parts, I used the following items:

Soap & Glory - Trick and Treatment Concealer

~Very lightweight but does good coverage for dark spots~

Empro - Triangular Brow Pencil

~The triangular shape pencil glides smoothly and easily on the brows~

Kiss Me - Heavy Rotation Perfect Liquid Eyeliner

~I swear by this eyeliner. Easy on, easy off~

Dior - Mascara in Black

Sephora - Blush me in Rose Rebelle

Dior - Lipstick in Ardent Beige (428)

The review of Urban Decay Naked Palette:

I believe that this complete neutral-smoky palette is loved by many. Most of the hues are on the shimmery side, though not all, do not bother me cos I can still create the look that I want with a blending technique (thanks to the tutorials!). Very pigmented, therefore does not require layers of application. Easily blend-able. I love, love, love it!!! One of my best make-up purchases, ever...after Kiss Me, Heavy Rotation Eyeliner.

Retail price: RM175.00.

Oh Happy Day!

2011-12-27T20:50:00.000+08:00

As mentioned in my recent post, I finally bought the watch of my dreams just this afternoon. :))))

After much thought and considerations (and coaxing and pressures), I decided to get this:

YAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But before I decided on Ball, I was extremely close to buying Tag Heuer. For Tag, I had the choice between the Formula 1 (Ceramic and Steel) collection and the Aquaracer collection. What's more enticing, the discount offered to me was higher than the maximum rate normally offered by other watch boutiques. In fact, it was quite high, I almost bought it there and then.

But being me, I was indecisive. Formula 1 or Aquaracer?? Both looked good and it's only a mere difference of RM100, with Aquaracer faring higher. I was more inclined towards the Formula 1 (as shown before in my previous post) but I didn't want to make a rash decision on this. So I told my Boss and his friend (who is also my good friend), that I need some thinking over lunch, just to be sure.

We discussed over lunch, and I finally made up my mind. Formula 1 it is. But then again, I remembered the Ball watch I saw last week. So, I told them that maybe we should make a detour to one particular watch boutique and have a last look on Ball, so that I won't regret my decision getting the Formula 1.

The more I see it, the more I fell for it. It has everything that I wanted. Automatic, simple, durable, the right size, and values at the same price with Formula 1. Ahhh, it was harder to make the decision! After several opinion and some encouragement given to me (and also, "Up to you...it's you who's going to wear it anyway"), I decided that Ball is the best choice.

Why is it the best?

The discount rate was higher than Tag, hence it's more reasonable to pay (I'm not gonna say cheaper, cos it's not cheap...I cringed after paying it!). Again, it's an automatic watch, so it has higher value. It has the elements/functions of an expensive watch. It is sturdy. It is a classic as well as a signature design for Ball brand. It's not a fashion watch - i.e. you're not paying higher for the brand and trend, but for a better function timepiece (according to the salesperson). Plus, the guy who sold the watch to me was not only thinking about selling the watch cos honestly, he would make more money with Tag of that same value but he didn't. And finally, I just love the way the seconds leg glides. Hehehe!

Presenting you, my Ball watch. It was indeed meant to be. :) Many men told me that I should insist my man to get it for me (in this case, SB...hehe!). But I'm not that kind of woman, although I would be more than happy if he offers to pay. I'd rather look at the watch and be reminded of how I worked hard for it than looking at it and hope one day I can get rid of it when I have enough money (or another guy) to buy a new watch if things didn't work out between me and him. As simple as that...based on a true story. ;)

New memento

2011-12-21T18:42:00.001+08:00

It's about time that I get this year's memento. I realised that I have not been spending something significant for myself for the year, other than a few holidays, but those are not exactly the kind that I have in mind.

Last year's hard work was paid off with a personalised LV Speedy, which I still adore to this day. :) This year? As I mentioned earlier, I'll get a watch. If it wasn't for the bonus, I would've bought a new charm from Thomas Sabo, to replace the old one. And that's that...too much commitment this year. Tsk!

My mum advised that I should get a watch, be it cheap or expensive, but definitely not a Rolex. Or a Jaeger Le-Coultre. Or a Franck Muller. She said, "Not your time yet. It will come one day, Insyaallah." Well, it wasn't the case that I'm going to get those now...but I told her that I would love to have those watches, if not all, at least one of them. :P

My criteria: practical, an all rounder - can be worn formal or casual, durable and scratch resistant. I'm the kind who wears the same watch all the time; be it to office, camping, holidaying, wedding/formal events, etc...therefore, those criteria will be taken into consideration on top of the style and design. So, after spending sometime surveying on the watches, I came back with 3 favourite watches in mind. These 3 are of different kind and standing in the world of watches.

Firstly, the brand 'Ball'. Engineer ..blabla.. Arabic ..blabla.. watch. Or something like that.

According to my Boss (cos I'm too lazy to do history/background research on this brand), this watch brand hails from the USA. It was initially made for the railway workers and due to its distinctive micro gas that produces the 'glow-in-the-dark' effect on the watch, it became famous and began manufacturing them for retail. In the world of watches, it is somewhat on par with Tag Heuer but not exactly people's favourite.

I personally love this watch. Funky, cool yet practical. It has an automatic movement, which I would love to have for my new watch. [FYI - Automatic movement does not operate on a battery. Advantage: Adds value to the watch as this kind of movement has a complicated mechanism. Makes a cool movement; the seconds leg glides instead of making that usual quartz 'stop-and-move' seconds movement. Disadvantage: Higher maintenance, much more expensive, must adjust the actual time every once a month or two]. But for my first proper watch, it's a bit expensive considering that the brand isn't quite a favourite, unless you're a fan of watches.

After gasping with the price of the 'Ball', I decided to set my standard slightly lower...a watch that I can there and then decide to buy with no worries that it will cost me a bomb and still adore it. 'Tissot' came to my mind...an affordable but reputable watch.

For a Swiss watchmaker brand, it is fairly reasonable. RM2k tops, you'll have plethora of choice. In fact, I was indecisive. Mostly looked really good. It could be me, blinded by the sparkly steels and diamonds, OR the shop did a great job. :P

Of all the good looking watches, I chose this one as my favourite. I was really tempted to buy it and end my searching...but then, where's the fun in looking for THE ONE, right?? :P It's a normal quartz watch, from the Dressport model. But it's a chronograph type, which I've always loved. It's like saying "I'm classy yet tough, so don't mess with me!" (Yeah, right!) Hehehehe! Pricing wise, very reasonable and affordable. :)

But I just couldn't stop there. One last detour, none other than 'Tag Heuer' store. :) Tag Heuer is an affordable luxury watch. Affordable luxury means the starting price is at least from RM3k. Tsk!

I had my eye on the Aquaracer with blue-ish pearl surface. But mannnnn, the price has hiked up since I first saw them early last year. :( Quite disappointed, I asked the salesgirl if there are any other 'affordable' models for youngsters like me (pfftttt, youngster eh? hehe!). Then she showed me this.

I swear it was love at first sight. The moment I saw this, I just knew it...this is it!!! But the price made me choked. Slightly higher than the Aquaracer. Sigh. This is no good. :(((

The one that I saw was black with 12 diamonds (imagine the white model goes black)...superb!!! Unfortunately, it's a quartz watch...so no expensive looking movement. But that didn't stop me from lusting over it. :P

Anyways, after telling my Boss about my top 3 watches , he immediately googled them and pestered me to get the Tag Heuer. He gave me this scenario, that analogy, bla bla. He has a point. But still.....

So, we decided that one of these days, we'll go to the mall and scout for good discounts for those watches as well as others. My Boss is one supportive person when it comes to the things that he loves. And one of them is watches. I guess going shopping for my new and first ever bought-it-on-my-own watch will give him a reason to visit as many watch outlets as he can. Pftttt!! But I'd be glad to take him with me. Just because. ;)

At the end of the day...

2011-12-16T19:37:00.000+08:00

It was a sad day to begin with. No, make it depressing! Lost my case (almost the whole bulk done by me) for the very first time. I couldn't help but kept thinking, "How am I gonna break the news to the Boss and especially the client?". Then, emotions got into me while driving back to the office. T_T Mannnn, how can I reacted like that? Such a drama queen! *shy*

Anyways, I told the Boss of the bad news and he tried to console me by saying, "Well, I knew you worked hard to get things done and I think your submissions was superb! It's alright, don't be sad...we can always appeal and we will have a better chance there. And don't worry about the client, I will break the news to him." Such a wonderful person he is. Although to-be-shouted-at is the last thing I would rather get at that time, I didn't expect him to be so cool about it. :)

Then came the best part of the 'meeting'. He told me, "I hope this can cheer you up!" and slide an envelope towards me. I just froze and gave my Boss a blurry stare. At that point of time, it didn't cross my mind that it's coming to an end of the year and most, if not all, employees are expecting *ehem*. I thought it was a mere confirmation letter, since I just passed my 6th month of service at the new firm. I opened the envelope and was surprised with the contents of the letter........

Yes, you guessed it right!!! I was rewarded with a bonus! :)))))) Didn't expect it at all. Not exactly an enormous sum, but it surely made me want to run to LV and Ferragamo right away, if they could accept my cheque. Hehehe!

But now that I'm on my rational thinking mode, I will put them to good use. Pay off my credit card, set aside some portion into my Eurotrip fund, buy gifts for/give money to parents, treat my family for a nice dinner and then probably buy myself a nice watch as a long term investment (optional). The rest will be put in my savings, if I'm lucky. Hehe!

Last but not least, I'm also glad that the incident that was bothering me since last week is over. I feel way better now. :)))

I'm so grateful with all the goodness that surround me. From now on, I just need to maintain my pace or do better next time. ;)

pic credit: google images

A self-help advice to myself

2011-12-14T18:20:00.003+08:00

Sometimes, we say things we didn't mean. We do things we never intended to do. We even overlooked certain things.

Sometimes, we didn't realise our wrongdoing till it's too late or when a 'friendly' nudge was given.

When that happens, what should we do?

We look at ourselves and rewind our past action(s). Think deeply and thoroughly. Was it wrong, right or so-so? Put aside ego and justifications. Be impartial. Only then you can arrive to a self-realisation. Having done that, you will not have regrets for whatever actions or steps that you take further and can easily move on.

I have done or said not-so-nice-things in the past. Could be intentional or unintentional. It may hurt others' feelings, depending on how they took it. Sometimes, I'm glad I did it...but most of the time, I regretted it. The pros and cons of speaking my mind.

Perhaps I should take a step back and start making a mental note on the do's and the don'ts. At least next time I will think before I speak or do things. In doing that, I need some time. Could take longer than it supposed to...while I linger it around me till I can't stand it anymore, slap myself repeatedly and move on. ;)

Holiday Plans

2011-12-12T18:05:00.004+08:00

*edited - pictures included*

Phew!!! It's been a while since I had 5 different drafts to be finalised today and to be filed the next day. This would normally happen when I'm about to go on a long leave (long = a mere one week *pffftttt*) and/or just come back from that long leave.

Thanks to many experiences in handling such situation, I managed to get things done before end of the day and now it's time to wait for the clients to vet and approve the drafts. :))

Anyways, speaking of long leave a.k.a holiday, I've already sort of made up my mind on my next year's destination. Since I have a huge plan in 2013, I will have to spend less on a holiday trip next year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not getting married (no proposal so far, hehe!) or planning to buy a house but I plan to splurge on a Eurotrip!! Woo hoo!!

Todate, I plan to go to France, Monaco, Italy, Greece and perhaps Amsterdam (just Amsterdam, for the brownie :P - the whole Netherlands, next trip maybe). As of now, I'm going there solo.

Well, it's not that I resented the idea of a group holiday...it's fun but it's not exactly the kind I'd like to go on a long trip. Plus, I can't afford to accommodate others' schedule/wants/needs all the time. It brings out the worst in me. It should be stress-free and not stressful holiday, right?

At the same time, I'm not sure if I should go alone. Is it safe? Will I stay sane for that 2-3 weeks being alone? This is despite the fact that Western Europe countries are amongst the safest to travel alone.

Then the idea of joining a group tour of youngsters aged 18-35 years old came to me. Contiki. Have you ever heard of it? I discovered about this company a few days ago at Mydeal. Having read its mixed reviews, I'm more inclined to follow this trip. Definitely not cheap, but I wouldn't mind spend a little bit more for comfort, arranged logistics and still be able to see interesting, and not to mention important landmarks, along the way. Plus, I still get to do some exploring on my own...which is a not bad combo. :)

That is my main goal, btw...not important to anyone but really huge for me!

Back to my next year vacation plan, am going to Tioman Island for about 7-8 days in the mid year, obviously alone. As that island is somewhat huge, I plan to move from place to place, area to area and chalet to chalet. Have a rough budget in mind, I think I can pull it off all by myself. In the meantime, I can finally get the tan skin colour I've always wanted. Hehe..

Isn't life supposed to be about you? Sometimes, what you need should not outweigh what you want. It should balance out. While I'm still not married, I will hold on to a selfish life than a selfless one - just for the fun of it. ;)

pics credit: travlang, google images

Last Saturday...

2011-12-11T23:02:00.014+08:00

Last Saturday, I was bored and made my way to The Gardens, Mid Valley. Thought of doing some window shopping and remembered that Boss' birthday falls on Sunday (today). Decided to get him something nice and appropriate.

And then, SB called. [FYI, SB is the guy I'm currently dating and adore :) - a post about him will probably come by soon]. With no further plans, we decided to meet up as soon as I'm done with my shopping.

SB wanted to find a half body height vase, so off we went to Amcorp Mall. Unfortunately, the vintage market has ended for the day...so we spent our time at Book Excess. Found a few interesting titles (although they don't have David Nicholls' "One Day" novel there) and bought them.

Left Amcorp Mall around dinner time. Famished but didn't know where to eat, SB succumbed to my hints to have McDonalds for dinner. And I had to agree that he can have his teh tarik anywhere he pleases. We're always into that kind of pact and it's been a year since we had that. :)

After enjoying my scrumptious prosperity meal and his teh tarik, I told him I don't really want to go home yet cos it's still early to call it a day. So we went sight seeing KL, the thing we've not done for awhile. We passed by Pavilion and saw these bear-esque statues lining up the walkway. We just had to park somewhere and have a look at them.

These bears were brought to Malaysia by the United Buddy Bear, all the way from Berlin. A little background info, Klaus and Eva Herlitz from Germany, in co-operation with the sculptor Roman Strobl, started creating these bears sometime in 2001 as a message of peace, international understanding and tolerance among the nations, cultures and religions of this world. These bears will be lined up hand in hand as a symbol of peace and unity.

Artists were brought into Berlin to specially paint of approximately 350 bears that symbolises the countries of the world, respectively. Obviously, the first exhibition of the United Buddy Bear was held in Berlin. With recognition by the United Nations, this exhibition continues to tour around the world and it's current stop is here, at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Nothing better than having Sephora as the background. :P

It felt like walking through an art gallery - but so much better and in unconventional way

FYI, SB's father was given the honour to be amongst the first batch to paint one of these bears. Even though he is a German citizen, he felt closer to Malaysia. After 30 years spent here, naturally he would paint a bear representing our country. Incorporating part of his famous painting of hibiscus and hornbills onto the buddy bear, he also had our flag, orang utan and surprise, surprise...KLCC on it. :P

W.I.P - The artist himself

Unfortunately, his masterpiece is not exhibited here (last seen in 2006)...therefore I couldn't see it. But on the bright side, our local artist, Imuda, was selected to be part of this great event. I must say, although it lacked certain artistic values, compared to other pieces, but he certainly made me proud...for some reason. :)

Imuda's interpretation of Malaysia

Our long night ended there, it's time to go home. But before I left, SB presented me with a bouquet of lilies, my favourite!! Boy, was I surprised to receive flowers in the middle of the night. :)

Sleepy but happy...I just had a good Saturday. And I was especially proud to have known an artist whom I had durian with and a portrait drawn by him, who used to be part of this huge United Buddy Bear deal, none other than SB's talented father.

pics credit: google, buddy-baer.com, yours truly lousy blackberry

United Buddy Bear info: wikipedia

New and improved (hopefully!) Hearts & Darts!

2011-12-11T22:47:00.002+08:00

This is the 2nd time I 'refreshed' my blog. Deleted old posts and starting on new ones. Was thinking of waiting till 2012 comes, but nah...I just can't wait!

New me, new layout, new free template. Hehe! :P

Since I am now trying to keep it low on Facebook, I'd hope to update here often. Wish me luck ya?