Condolences to Dear Cherry

My condolences go out to dear Cherry whose father passed away early this morning.

It was due to cancer. And this is the second death of a parent among the people in the agency this week.

(Wonder if this being the ghost month has anything to do with it).

It seems like almost every death I hear or know of personally is due to cancer. The deaths of all my known relatives in the past 10 years were due to cancer. It’s out to get all of us and I’m really not surprise if I get it at some point.

Thanks to the advancement of medicine and technology, cancer is curable if detected early and treatment is sought right away. But some times, people choose not to seek treatment for different reasons and that is their prerogative even though it is hard for those around them.

Nevertheless I’ve called my insurance agent and will up my coverage for cancer by another few hundred thousand.

If it’s malignant and at an advanced stage, I’m just gonna take the money and go party, travel, donate it and do everything I wanted to do before my time is up.

That said, knock on wood!

Party and travel now!!!

Life is short. We can take every precautionary measure but when our time is up, it’s time to make peace, make sure the will is in order and get ready to say hi to your maker.

Happy Merdeka everyone! I’m going to leave the office to pay my last respects now.

Bubbles got a Marsupial and Marsupial got a Poley Bear

I spent 160 munny buying Billy a habitat and it’s disappeared! I’ve very upset with the Fluff Friends application. Billy lost his home! They should sell insurance too so we can buy in case our pet’s home gets stolen, eaten, blown away or eaten by other pets who’s owners don’t feed them.

Marsupial got a poley bear! That’s so sweet. Marsupial! Of all people. And he’s turned artsy fartsy too (he recommended that I go watch Frogway). He says he’s always been artsy fartsy (without wearing pink coloured shirts) but I never knew that side of him from the many years we were friends.

Marsupial got a poley bear called Freckles and I got a marsupial wallaby called Billy!

Oh, Billy’s habitat is back. Forgot to press the ‘set habitat’ button. Hahahaha!

16C in the Office

The office is either very cold or extremely cold. The people here have resorted to wearing sweaters. Some wear a sweater and a jacket and a beanie. Some just walk around wrapped in a fleece blanket.

We all know it’s cold but exactly how cold? So I brought a thermometer to work today.

And it’s freaking 16C!

So I just pretend I’m in London and too poor to check in my coat so I go without. At least we don’t have wind chill factor here!

James Must Feed Billy the Wallaby To Be My Insurance Agent

Like so many other people out there, I'm addicted to Facebook. Even though I was very reluctant to start. Now thanks to Sin Cyn and about 10 other friends, I'm hooked onto the Superlatives application but that seems to be giving way to Fluff Friends. I have a wallaby named Billy and he's so cute.

Hee Hean asked me this morning if I have a real wallaby. I told him that just cos Billy lives on Facebook, it doesn't mean he's not real. I bought him a habitat and he needs to be fed and petted constantly. And if he's ignored and not fed, he dies! I miss him when I go offline and feed sad to leave the fella alone.

I'm quite upset with a Prudential agent. A friend of a friend contacted me to sell insurance to me. While I'm keen on the policy, I also need to know my insurance agents / unit trust agents / bankers / etc fairly well and I need to see them as friends.

And most of my friends are on Friendster and now Facebook. So i asked the Prudential guy to join Facebook or I won't sign with him. I sent him a SMS lately to find out if he has joined Facebook. He hasn't and he didn't even reply my SMS! Not very good right? I'm thinking I shouldn't sign with him since he ignores his customers and I'm a potential one.

So now in order for me to sign with him, he needs to not only join Facebook and add me but also:
1. Get the Fluff Friend application via my invite (so i can earn munny and buy Billy a zen penthouse suite)
2. Get a Fluff Friend
3. Feed Billy
4. Pet Billy.

James, when you read this, u know what to do before u pass the policy to me. ;)

Bubbles Didn't Do the Sun Salutation Today

I was supposed to go for a trial class at Yoga Zone today but
1. It was raining
2. I had work
3. Cyn was sick and had work
4. I was lazy

So I'm in the office blogging and playing with Facebook.

Facebook is evil. Like E TV!, it sucks u in and you need to fight hard to logout / shut off / shut down.

Shredding Helps Ease the People Hating Mode

The day in the office hasn't been any better. There are a few campaigns running so we're all very busy. But some people can't handle the stress and start taking it up on other people who are not involved.

But i found one good way of destressing.

Shredding. Especially the shredding machine which doesn't have on/off buttons. There's a large slot that's so dark, you can't see into it. You drop a sheet of paper in and after a split second, it makes this DZEARKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!! sound. And the paper vanishes from view. It's mashed and mangled at the bottom, into a large bin. So nice. So soothing.

I just came back from shredding 1 ream of my job requisitions, art works and work-in-progress sheets.

I feel a little better now.

People Hating Mode

I’m in my people hating mode again.

Woke up easily enough this morning. Watered the new plants. Made a ham and cheese sandwich.

The moment I pulled out of the condo in my car was when the people hating mode started.

A Caucasian brunette woman in a black SUV pulled into my lane from the left and I had to swerve right. I chased her and stared at her and shook my fist at her. She was either oblivious to what she did and my reaction. Or she didn’t want to react.

Then a man in white sedan stuck the nose of his car out from a left lane as I was turning into a bend. And he stayed there! So I had to stop at the bend and let him go. And even then he took 3 seconds to decide to move.

After turning into the office car park, someone took the last park space available on the floor I wanted to be at.

Then coming into the office, there was a pile of job requisions which I sent in yesterday afternoon which the new traffic person left on my table with comments in exclamation marks (!!!!) just cos she’s new and didn’t understand the status of the job.

Notice how when you’re in a foul mood, people who greet you chirpily or hum a song makes you fume even more?

I need my coffee and smoke. Now. Bye.

Most Likely To Get Caught Wearing a Bunny Costume for No Apparent Reason Part II

Fruitcake just told me that I’m number 2 as the most voted person for Most Likely To Get Caught Wearing a Bunny Costume for No Apparent Reason. And this is not just among friends but among everyone who has installed the Superlative programme on Facebook.

Unfortunately Superlatives is down and I can’t have a look.

This is excellent. Now where do I find a bunny suit?

If Your Life Isn’t A Story, You Might As Well Be Kelp

If your life isn’t a story, you might as well be kelp.

Read that in JPod by Douglas Coupland which is an extremely funny book. Many funny and quirky lines in there.

I especially like the Chinese characters which are so big, they take up one page per character.

And the first 100,000 digits of pi. I can’t even remember that the formula for pi which we used in school is 3.141. (I just checked this on the net. If I could not remember it in school, it’s highly unlikely I’ll remember it now). And I didn’t know that the pi numbers continue after “.141”. In fact there are so many numbers that the book listed the first 100,000 digits (what?! There’s more?) and took up about 30 pages of the book. So u r flipping n flipping n flipping n its all numbers.

Okay back to the kelp. I totally agree with the quote.

We only have one life so why let life pass you by? Sure, chill out if you want but also go out there and live life! Don’t wake up one day when u r 70 years old and realize that you’re almost dead and haven’t done half the things you want to do and you’re too old to do them now.

Read that book.

Throw yourself off a plane (with a parachute)

Ride a gondola in Venice.

Walk on the Great Wall of China.

Visit childhood friends in Sydney and Melbourne.

Hug a koala.

Ski in Switzerland.

Eat a croissant in Paris.

So start that business.

Buy a house with a garden.

Get 2 dogs in the garden.

Call the dogs Jack and Russell.

Okay those are my lists. And I’m planning to do them this very moment!

But right now, I’m going for the Digi Jazz Fest at Plaza Mont Kiara. Have a good weekend everyone!

Why I Love My Job Part 3

Because we’re served San Fran sandwiches for lunch while we sit down and watch TVC commercials from around the world. And this is work.

Most Likely To Get Caught Wearing a Bunny Costume for No Apparent Reason

Okay, so Friendster is so 5 years ago and everyone is migrating to Facebook. As it stands, more than 3 million Malaysians are on Friendster. Wonder how long it will take for the some amount to overtake Facebook.

I finally succumbed to peer pressure as I was tired of every other person asking me to join Facebook.

I just felt that Friendster was good enough (actually I was just too lazy to set up the new Facebook account, re-write profiles, and add friends). But it turned out for the better as I’ve found friends I’ve not talk to in more than 10 years from all around the world.

While it’s fun and has a multitude of applications, I find that its way too cluttered and too much stuff going on. That’s why if you’re busy working 10 hours are the office a day, it’s going to be hard to keep track of what’s going on in your account.

After not checking in for more that a day, I found that I have 3 beers, 1 mimosa, 1 amaretto sour, 1 mojito, 1 cosmopolitan, 1 pair of blue balls, 1 special brownie, a bunny rabbit, a pink daisy, a purple tulip, a mouse, a sheep, 2 sun flowers, 2 bites, 2 dares, 5 questions, 1 drink recipe and 2 fortunes. And about 8 more new applications where people can send me drinks, flowers, animals and fish and can poke, super poke, hug, kiss, spoon, compare, double dare, bike, cast spells on me and more.

Of all the 20 or so applications, I find Superlatives the most fun. As it stands, 14 friends have voted that I’m ‘Most Likely To Get Caught Wearing a Bunny Costume for No Apparent Reason’.

You guys! ……….. You know me so well!

Wedding Pictures, Death and Insurance Plans

“You look so pretty”, exclaimed a few friends while looking at another friend’s wedding pics taken a few years ago. “And so slim!”

I’m wondering if that’s a compliment because if you think of it, it means “Now you are looking pretty frumpy and a bit lumpy on the side too”.

It’s different if a colleague who sees you nearly everyday and makes the compliment cos it could mean that you usually look good but you look exceptionally good today whether due to a new stylish haircut or a dress that compliments your body shape.

I once saw a wedding photo album in the office. I flipped through it but could not recognize anyone in there so I thought maybe it belonged to a colleague’s sibling who got married and the colleague brought the album to show the people in the office. That is, until I realized that the bride was a girl who sits just a few tables away from me!

Wedding make-up is scary. While they try and make you look much prettier than you are in real life with make-up and plenty of Photoshopping on your big day, it’s really not a good thing when you don’t look like someone else even if you’re drop dead gorgeous in the pics. Your wedding is just one day. Your wedding album is going to last several decades. Wouldn’t natural make up to enhance your features be better? Would you want people to think that you look like crap just a few years after the wedding?

But I guess it would work well after you die. Cos it’s hard to retain a face clearly in your memory after someone’s passing so when living relatives and friends flip thru the album, they will remember the very stunning you on your wedding though it wasn’t very you in the first place.

Okay okay I’m getting a bit morbid. Must be cos I was talking to an insurance agent yesterday and we were talking about dying a lot. It’s no issue if I die. I just want a lot of money while I’m living so I can enjoy here n now. And the insurance agent is going to come up with a plan to deliver just that.

Not a Smoking Bun

The price of cigarettes is gonna go up again next year! Recently, it went up from RM7.40 to RM8.20. 80sen per pack is a huge difference and friends have been dealing with it in different ways.

Some have been cutting down and some have been trading down to value brands. Lotsa Marlboro smokers are now smoking L&M.

I’m guessing the cigarette boys are really feeling the pinch and are seeing sales of their value brands sky rocket.

Shell Shell says that she’ll quit when prices per pack reaches RM10. Well, now that she’s traded down, she’ll have quite a number of years more than if she was basing them on premium brands.

As for me, I’ve traded down too but within the same brand ie. from Dunhill Fine Cut Menthol to Dunhill Menthol Lights. There’s about a RM1 difference between the two.

I’ve also told myself that I’ll quit 6 months before getting pregnant. I still can’t see myself with a bun in the over but I definitely don’t want to be in a situation where I suddenly discover that ‘I’VE A BUN IN THE OVEN!!!” and start scrambling. Planning is essential to ensure a nice bun and the oven is ready and is in good working order. Other essentials include nice trays and moulds and enough icing sugar to be sprinkled on top when the bun is ready. Also, nice paper and a box so that the bun is as presentable as can be as we live in a superficial world.

Prince William and Princess Bubbles

Holding onto the gate with both hands at the side of my face and sticking my head as far as possible through the metal iron grills without being stuck and looking like a duffus, I yelled “Prince William! Prince William!!!! Prince WILLIAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. That was me 10 years ago right outside the perimeter of Eton College. But Prince William didn’t emerge! So I yelled “Prince Harry! Prince Harry!!!! Prince HARRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. But he didn’t show either.

Now Kate Middleton is making Prince William marry her. Hmmm … looks like I’ve gotta set my sights on Harry now. He has grown out of his awkward stage and beginning to look more handsome in a rugged kinda way.

(Paul, don’t jealous ya? I still love u.)

It’s hard marrying into the British Royal family and life will be so stifling. Just look at the late Princess Di. And I’m sure the Queen is going to get a heart attack if she meets me in my bouncing mode. Still, it would be nice to run through the halls of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle and climb the tower and play Ruppenzul. It’s a nice fairytale-real-life-prince kinda fantasy.

I’ll be nice. I wish William and Kate all the best.

The world is looking forward to another fairytale wedding with hopes that it truly has a ‘happily ever after’. The world doesn’t need another drama like the end of Charles and the darling Diana.

Do Not Wear Work Wear To Work

Another reason not to dress too nicely or wear formal work clothes to my office…… colleagues and bosses think you’re going for an interview! Which was exactly the comment I got today for wearing a long sleeved brown dress with no cleavage showing and with the hem so long, it was touching my knees. It’s back to jeans and t-shirt tomorrow.

Why I Love My Job Part 2

We get to drink and play with toys DURING meetings!

I'm Retired

I’m retired. From clubbing and most party scenes that is. It’s happened. I’ve just been in denial.

7AteNine had their 1^st anniversary party on 7^th, 8^th & 9^th August. I went for the one yesterday with Paul.

The music was so-so. I didn’t feel like drinking. I got extremely irritated that it was so crowded and I kept getting bumped into. I felt warm. And irritated.

I didn’t see many familiar faces but as I’ve noticed, my gang has retired too. Way before me. I just didn’t know about it till it happened to me.

Fairy was there though. But Fairy’s everywhere. Hehe!

Now I’ll have to find new things to blog about.

Bubbles & Paul

Bubbles & Fairy

Why I Love My Job Part 1

1. We get to alter people’s minds, turn businesses around and create world cultures.
My favourite example is how de Beers created and popularized the diamond engagement ring. One jewelry company created a culture which has been embraced by the world and will be perpetuated for generations to come. The initial diamond sales to the company didn’t hurt either, I’m sure.

2. We get to waltz in at 10am.
For those who live less than 10km away from the office and are not parents, we get to wake up past 9am everyday and still make it to work on time.

3. We get to wear jeans to work.
Some even come in shorts and tatty t-shirts.

4. Petrol cards.
With the constant petrol price hikes … nuff said.

5. We get to go out for coffee session.
And call it brainstorm sessions.

6. Free flow of Coke and beer (Heineken, Tiger, Guinness, Anchor) and spirits (whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, tequila) and wine (red & white). Oh and an espresso machine too.
We’re really spoilt for choice in the beverage department.

7. We have ‘open bars’.
Every few months or so, we get to pick any bar of our choice and we’ll park ourselves there from 6pm till closing, eating and ordering anything which takes our fancy. The last few open bar sessions were held in Finnegan’s Bangsar, Laundry and 7AteNine.

8. We have Beer Lunches (specific to the beer team).
Every few months or so, the members of the beer team ie. Those who work on the Guinness and Tiger accounts, go to any F&B outlet of our choice for lunch and drink beer. It typically ends about dinner time when most people are drunk but it has known to go on till 6am.

9. We get to watch movies.
We have an excellent sound system in the office with projector and plasma screen at our disposal. While it’s typically used for client meetings, we also use it for our own entertainment. We can get San Fran to deliver food, pop in a DVD and have a fantastic, comfortable and entert5aining lunch. Which is exactly what we did today!

10. More reasons to love my job.
We’re getting a pool table from the client and trying to set up a bar in the reception. Well, there’s a bar now but we need beer on tap.

4 Questions

You know those emails where friends send them to you and you’re supposed to fill in the answers about yourself and send it back to the friend who sent it to you and also other friends?

Well, Looqy sent one such mail to me today. And I promised that I’ll reply as the poor girl is writing a 30 page for her final thesis and wants some distraction. Well at least u’ll be graduating after this, girl!

And I thought I’d post the answers here so that if such an email comes around again, I can just refer them to this post instead of writing it again. Hehe!

For you Looqy!

Four jobs I have had in my life:

I’ve probably had 10 jobs with different job scopes since I started working when I was 15 but here are some you may not know about:

1. Banquet staff at Pan Pac Hotel. My first job albeit part time. I was 15. But I quit after 3 days cos there was zero training. A guest asked for red cut chillis and when I went into the kitchen to ask where I could find chilli, they directed me to another floor and I ended up in a dark attic-like room. They didn’t even teach us the basic of serving using the big spoon and fork like how some waiters do so professionally even for slippery noodles.

2. TGIF Smiling People Greeter (Yes the acronym is SPG). I was 18 and worked there after college. But spent all by money on the cab fare there and back.

3. Tumble Tots Child Coordinator. Yes! I’m sure most people don’t know about this or if they do, they won’t believe it. Bubbles with kids and babies?!! That can’t be right. But it is. I can’t believe I lasted 3 months in the job.

4. When I was 10, I ran away to the circus and in return, I got food and lodging in a caravan. I dressed up in a fancy costume and paraded round the circus ring at the end of each show. Yes this was in Malaysia so don’t think that this only happens in western countries. Hehehe,

Four Places I have lived:

1. Malaysia. Grew up in SS2, went to school in JB, then back to KL for college, went off to uni and my year out and I’ve been back ever since.

2. Singapore. Life in JB for a teenage really isn’t much fun so I spent most of my time in Singapore every moment when I wasn’t in school. I almost studied in Ngee Ann Poly till my dad vetoed my decisions and made me do A Levels in Taylor’s College in KL.

3. London. That’s where I did my uni. Lived in Hendon but spent most of my time in Bayswater, Leicecter Square, Covent Garden, Bristol and Windsor.

4. Barbados. This is where I spent my year out. All I did was drink rum, surf, tan, drink rum, dance under the stars, drink rum, go catamaraning, drink rum ……… all year long.

Four Places I have been on vacation:

1. The UK- London. Cornwall. Lake District. Oxford. Warwick. Cardiff. Swansea. Edinburgh. Birmingham. Manchester. Bristol. Nottingham. Stoke-on-Trent. Luton. Stockton-on-Tees. York. Brighton. Blackpool. Windsor.

2. Amsterdam. This was the only place I traveled to out of the UK when I was studying. Yes it may have been cheaper to travel with London as a base but I was also a poor student. The most interesting thing found out about Amsterdam is that the green stuff that they’re so famous for, isn’t actually legal. But the cops let u do it anyway.

3. Germany. A German friend who was working in KL was going back home. So a friend and I thought we’ll send him off, all the way to Germany. And along the way, we holidays in Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Trier and Nuschwanstein.

4. The Middle East, in May this year to visit my mum.

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Fried rice. All types - with salted fish, petai, ikan bilis, luncheon meat, bacon, egg, garlic.

2. Bacon sandwich.

3. Deep fried fish with raw diced garlic and chilli padi along with other dishes in this coffee shop called Lucky Loke in SS3.

4. Steak in Oggi’s in the old Regent Hotel.

5. Crème Brulle in Marche in Rennaissance Hotel

Okay I know that that’s 5 but I’m Malaysian! You can expect me to choose just 4. There’s also pizza, pasta, bak kut the, hokkien mee, fried wan tan, yaw char kwai ……..

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. In bed. I’m reading 2 books now and I wanna finish both so I can start on a new one.

2. Traipsing over Europe - sipping coffee in one of their sidewalk cafes (Just like your answers Looqy!)

3. Diving and sun tanning in the Caribbean.

4. Reading a book and getting a tan in Hyde Park, London

Hope u had fun reading. Now go nail that paper girl!

PS I miss ya!

Bubbles Non Clubbing Version: Final

Gary and the love of his life were in town from Singapore last Friday and wanted to go out to a R&B club. As close friends know (and as you can see from the lack of posts and pics on clubbing and drinking since this year), I don’t go out as much as before. Thus I no longer have drinking kakis’ numbers on speed dial. Nor do I have a home club where it take 15 minutes to get to my table cos I’ll be drinking with other friends as soon as I walk through the door.

But I had to try since I was going out. So I called / SMS ex clubbing kakis as well as non clubbing kakis whom I thought would be up for a few drinks and this was the response I got:

Fruitcake: Can’t. Gotta wake up early the next day.

Marsupial: At a BBQ in Subang but don’t want to drink too much anyway.

Wijay the Penguin Friend: Going for a movie and have to wake up early for a trip to Ipoh tomorrow.

Patrick: Feeling under the weather. You enjoy.

Lionel: Have family obligations.

Wendy: Not up to it. You have fun.

Jason Lee: Hey! Yourgh ar goi air tage row … wheres air tage rom. Aih 12 bottle fronthh o me now. Airgh breeen dwinkink (I gathered that he was probably drunk cos his mumbling was fairly incomprehensible).

Jason Moo: Going to watch a band play in a pub. Catch u another time.

Ashley: Yeah I’m going to the new club next to bed. I’ll call you (But he never did. Instead he went to Sky Bar and Sugar and had a shitty time.)

Sin Cyn: Have a presentation to work on. Will call u if I’m going but probably not.

Doh Kit, brother of Doh Nut the Doctor: You’ve going out? Bubbles is going clubbing?! Okay okay, let me cut short my plans. See u there!

1 out of 11 said yes. This means even if I wanted to get back into clubbing, I’ll have no one to go with anymore. What happened to all my alkie friends? Is everyone really getting old and retired from the scene?!

Marsupial and I agreeing not to pursue our Guinness Pint challenge session should have been an indication but I’m stubborn.

I decided we should go to Mojo as that was my last known home club. Walking in, I looked around and saw that no one looked familiar except for the manageress. But I got a nice sofa seat anyway and ordered a pint of Guinness for Paul and I.

Gary and Da came and we chatted for a while before they headed up to play pool. Then Kit arrived and we a lemon drop shot. When I thought Gary and Da were being too anti social, I went up, confiscated their coins and made them come down to drink and dance with us.

Then Sin Cyn, Pete and the diving gang showed up!!! Yay! I was so happy to see them!

We were drinking, dancing and taking pictures.

Gary & Da

Kit & Bubs

Sin Cyn & Pete

Bubs, Paul & Sin Cyn

Sydney, Pete & Bubs

2 guys i don't know but think it was friends of friend. I hope.

Okay fine. This is evidence that I was trying to kiss Da.

Then camera stopped flashing cos Bubbles got drunk. You read right. A rare occurrence but it happened. My last memory of the night was of Sin Cyn handing me a glass of whiskey. Then I woke up in the following morning in bed.

Apparently I didn’t do much except try to kiss Da and when she shied away, Sin Cyn and I kissed to show her that it’s fine. Other than that, I just bounced around like I usually do.

If I was that drunk, I’m surprised I didn’t do more psychotic things. That was really mild compared to trying to deflate and steal the 8 feet long blow-up killer whale, which happened at Mojo with Fruitcake before she became a mommy. We were yelling at random people to sit and bounce on the whale to get the air out. The whale could sit 4 adults comfortably on it’s back. We were doing this at the entrance of Mojo, close to the main road of AHR. As I was rolling the deflated whale up, a bouncer came out and took it away. All that hard work and yelling went to waste.

Bubbles can’t drink anymore. Yes I don’t go out drinking 4 times a week like before. Or drink half a bottle on the average per night. But that’s besides the point! This must be my body’s way of telling me that each clubber has to stop at some point. And my point has passed, whether I wanted to acknowledge it or not.

Guess it’s house parties and wine sipping nights from now on. Look out for more sober pics.

After Bubbles Non Clubbing Version 1.0 and 2.0 and 3.0 .... well, i lost count. Gotta get used to Bubbles Non Clubbing Final Version.

Bubbles Needs A Bigger Book Shelf And An Island Holiday

J.K. Rowling said “I never need to find time to read. When people say to me, 'Oh, yeah, I love reading. I would love to read, but I just don't have time,' I'm thinking, 'How can you not have time?' I read when I'm drying my hair. I read in the bath. I read when I'm sitting in the bathroom. Pretty much anywhere I can do the job one-handed, I read.”

One of the reasons Wijay the Penguin Friend is moving to Langkawi because life in KL is too busy and distracting to read. He’s got a tonne of books which he wants to read and does, but at slower rate than he would like. Solution? Move to an island where you’ll have almost all the time in the world.

What a novel and radical idea. But a little extreme, even for me.

My book shelf is warping in the middle (yes it’s from Ikea) and I have books stuffed into ever conceivable little corner. I need a new book shelf but do not have space for one.

I don’t have the heart to pay RM500 for clothes but it’s no issue when it comes to books. That’s the average I pay at a book ware house sale. I’m laden with an armful of knowledge, fun, entertainment and imagination to last for months. It’s so much more worth it for the price of one designer dress.

My mini library at home is growing. A quarter of which are books I’ve not read. But I can’t help buying especially at Border’s “3 for 2” books and when Times have their member discounts on current titles.

“Marley and Me” has been staring at me each time I enter Borders in the past 6 months. I finally bought it recently. It made me laugh and it made me cry. A must for any dog lover though I was reluctant to read when Marley came to the end of his life time.

I also bought Henry David Thoreau’s Walden yesterday. That’s the book I wanted to get when I read about the line ‘I rather sit on a pumpkin……’

Friends have been raving about The Secret by Rhona Byrne. Sounds like the hottest you-can-be-rich-and-get-what-u-want book since Rich Dad Poor Dad. Instead, I chose The Science of Success by Wallace D Wattles who is one of the contributors in The Secret.

Now, if only I don’t have to entertain, meet people for various reasons, run errands and man a jumble sale stall this weekend.

Taking a sabbatical to an island sounds more and more like a feasible idea.

Succumbed

The bright warm light illuminating the pastries welcome you as you step out of the lift from the car park. You look away and quickly rush into the other lift to the office.

You walk down at lunch to the lobby and the aroma of roasted coffee wafts towards you and lightly tickles your senses. Your stomach growls. You rush into the lift to get to the car park.

After lunch, you head back to the office. The light attracts you, the smell draws you closer. It's like it's slowly sucking you in. With every bit of restraint, you tear your eyes away and hide in the lift, refusing to breath in the invitation.

Yes, okay, i could not resist. I bought a late at San Fran when i arrived at work. And I'm still drinking it now!

Women In Heels Are Perpetually In Pain

My feet hurt! A colleague gave me a pair of 4 inch heels cos they didn’t fit her so I decided to wear it to the office today.

I’ve been hobbling around all morning and throughout lunch. Eventually, each step moved me about 6 inches. It was a long way from the coffee shop to the car.

Then I thought screw it! So I’m now shuffling round in the office in my bedroom slippers (I can’t remember why I have bedroom slippers in the office).

It’s like a universal rule. Pretty looking shoes must hurt. Women MUST suffer to look good. It doesn’t matter if its Vincci, Nose, Lewre or Gucci.

If you see a woman with a gorgeous pair of shoes sashaying your way, she’s probably grimacing in pain inside.

Show me a pair of pretty and petite 3 inch heels which doesn’t bite, slip or wobble and I’ll buy them now.

I can’t wait to go home and slip into my Crocs.

A Welcome Sight In The Morning

In less than 3 days from initial set up, the San Fran corner is up and running. What a welcoming sight as we arrive at work bleary eyed and stoned despite us arriving at 10am. I noticed several people walking into the office with brown San Fran bags this morning. I've requested that they give us a huge discount considering how much they'll be making from us from today onwards.

They deliver for orders above RM30. They'll bring air pots and the food will be served in proper plates. Now I'm just wondering how they're going to cope when we order food for 15 people whenever we have a big meeting.

Gone Are The 'S' Days

Something happens to a woman’s body after they turn 30.

I’m staring into the mirror and I don’t look that much different from 10 years ago. Me weight is exactly the same as when I was in college. My waist is and has always been 24” – 25” for as long as I remember.

But yet something has changed because clothes don’t fit anymore. The skirts seem obscenely short. The pants can hardly be zipped. The dresses don’t complement anymore. I could wear them when I was 15. And I could wear them just a few months ago. Seems like age has crept up on me. I still feel like I’m 7 sometimes. I guess my body is telling me that I’m 30.

Gone are the size ‘S’ days. I’m an M now but I don’t look any different. Which means I’ll probably be a British size 10 now. This is so odd.

Friends who are in their mid 30s tell me it’s because that which was muscle (not that I had a lot to begin with) has now turned into fat. And my style or fashion sense has changed.

I don't believe in diets and I’m not the exercise type although I sometimes like to dress like a gym bunny just for fun because I can look the part. Or maybe I just like being a bunny (some would remember my fixation on bunnies not too long ago). Maybe it’s time to stop taking my body for granted and start working at it. Apparently, dancing in a club in 3” heels while chugging alcohol and smoking isn’t considered exercising.

So what’s going to happen to all the clothes which don’t fit anymore? I cleared out 1/3 of my wardrobe. I used to be very branded when I was younger. The Guess, Versace, Kenzo, DKNY, Calvin Klien, Ralph Lauren, Benetton, Quicksilver, Levi’s and other brands of jeans, pants, tops and dresses which don’t fit have been placed in 3 piles on the floor. I tried putting them into 2 piles but they toppled over. I’m staring at them wondering what to do with them.

I’ve given clothes to charity before so there’s probably some kampung kid running around wearing a French Connection t shirt.

But they’re too expensive to give away to charity! Thinking back, I have no clue how I could afford branded goods costing thousands of dollars when I was still a student. I used to make yearly pilgrimages to Singapore to shop. Isn’t it ironic how I hate shopping now?

Maybe I’ll try selling them. At the Centrepoint jumble sale this Sunday 5^th August.

And then take the money and get a new set of clothes which fit and is befitting of this 30 year old.

Dammit! Then I’ll have to go shopping. This sucks.

San Fran Is Here!

Finally! A major coffee chain will be opening their doors in my office building. Actually it’s a little corner but we’re all desperate for over priced coffee. We now don’t have to be envious of Ogilvy or JWT who can just take a lift to San Fran or walk across to PBD for Starbucks. Yay! Hmmm but we’re all gonna be so broke. Unless we charge it to the company citing we’re there to ‘brainstorm’. Yay!