Shopping Online Is Awesome

This is also the cause of financial problems of lots of women out there. But, when there is woman, there is shopping. I love shopping online simply because of 3 reasons. First, I can take my own sweet time in choosing what I like. Secondly, I can dwell on it for days before actually completing the transaction. Thirdly, I have something to look forward to. So, some of the things I have bought online so far…..

Amazon.com

You can get almost everything from Amazon. No, you can’t. Haha! But the book choices are awesome. The buying process is easy and delivery is done on time. The major concern is the exchange rate. If that were not an issue, I’d buy something almost every month. 

Kobo.com

Scramble Kobo and you get book. Kobo sells e-book online. The best part of Kobo is, you can get titles which are not available in Malaysia but the worst part of it, sometimes they are not allowed to sell these titles to you. Some of the titles I bought from Kobo are “I’m Not Hanging Noodles On Your Ears” by Jag Bhalla, “What Looks Like Crazy On Ordinary Day” by Pearl Cleage, “An Inconvenient Marriage” by Ruth Ann Nordin and “Sh*t My Dad Says” by Justin Halpern. A nice read when I have nothing else to do during breaks.

 Poplook.com

This website sells tops, pants, dresses and accessories. Very professional. Pay today, get tomorrow. I was very impressed. Unfortunately not many selection suits me. Not because they are not pretty but because I have my limitations. Thanks MsPeanutbutter for recommending the PopLook.  

Zyracollection.com

Initiated by 3 young Malaysian lads, this place sells shawls and long dresses for muslims. The Zyra site looks cool but the experience was not so good for me. When you have not enough stock, tell your client. We appreciate honesty. It is as simple as that. And one more thing... nothing from this website can be copied so.. how to promote you?

FabricCut

Received this gorgeous piece this morning. Totally worth it

You wanna be Martha Stewart, come have a look at this FabricCut. Bukan masaklah… jahit. So many choices of fabric but maybe a tad expensive. I try some and lovin’ it. Now, what to do with the fabric?

 Love.com.my

I like to surprise my husband and once in a while I’d buy him cookies and flowers online. But the bummer thing is… the delivery man-lah! He would call my husband first to confirm his whereabouts before sending. Haiya!!! It’s supposed to be a surprise lah uncle… But when you want to do a sweet gesture, go to Love.

Gsc.com.my

Queuing for tickets is so 1990s. Try GSC Online. Haha!

Guamuzik

Kapak punya lagu semua ada.

In my support of Malaysian music, good effort by gua.com.my

So, any good online shops lately? Email me. 

Saya beli cincin lagi

Pembelian ini tidak dirancang (as if pembelian yang lain sebelum ini dirancang selalu)

Mula-mula kami pergi pasar untuk beli barang basah nak panggang BBQ, kemudian beli kain untuk tempah baju Melayu, dan selepas itu ke Jalan Hang Tuah cari chapal. Apa pasal nak cari chapal? Pasal nampak macam cool kalau orang Melayu lelaki pakai. 

Chapal kami tak jumpa yang cantik, Pak Murad pula yang kami jumpa. I'm a fan of rings. Bila nampak orang jual cincin, terus tengok-tengok, mata jadi bulat. Pemilik kedai cincin itu dipanggil Pak Murad. Belek punya belek, tiba-tiba Pak Murad keluar dengan beberapa bentuk cincin. Dia kata saya sesuai dengan cincin ini kerana apparently.... saya pandai berniaga. Hehe.. nice compliment Pak Murad! I'm gonna buy it regardless! Dan saya ini senang masuk senang keluar, money wise, kata dia.  "Pakai cincin ni... sesuai untuk kau."  

Sarung-sarung terus muat dan saya belum ada cincin batu kuning. It's not that I believe what he said but it's indeed a nice compliment, wasn't it? 

Cantik tak?

i love my country

my heart’s bleeding

thinking about the fate of tomorrow

we are lost in a maze of filth

desperately seeking fresh air to breath

what’s left is hope

and a hint of belief that there’s an exit  

to a better day

til death do us part

you will always be mine

Meeting My Buddies

Yesterday I got the pleasure of meeting my best buds from primary school, my two best friends after 36 years apart. And it felt great!! We had a good laugh reminiscing our times in school, talking so patriotically about our country and its politics and talking about our present lives, our relationships, our kids. Though we haven't met for years, it didn't feel awkward at all. The trust, the comfort, the good feeling came back like it never left me. I used to have best friends and I wonder why I didn't contact them after I joined the boarding school. 

And I reckon, the problem was me. I didn't know how. I just didn't have the skill to stay in contact with people. After primary - lost contact with all the friends. After secondary - it's the same. After college - what difference? The pattern is obvious, isn't it? I'm glad to have friends who still want to be in contact with me because I need that initiatives, which I don't have. And I'm glad for Facebook. 

We shared so much in a few hours and I hope we would be in touch always. Thanks Anai and Ayu for your time and one thing for sure, we are still those crazy kids in school who always enjoyed a good laugh! Do you still remember the story of Kunta Kinte? haha!!! I bet you do!

Apa sudah jadi dengan kita dan bahasa?

Sork, klu Spain cum maen2 camne nk mng? Wat ar betowl2. Klu x mng, tataw nk ckp aperrr!!

Apa sudah jadi dengan kita dan bahasa? Dan saya tidak bercakap tentang kita dengan bahasa Malaysia sahaja.. bahasa Inggeris pun terpalit sama.

Caranya mungkin begini:

1.    1. huru-hara kan perkataan sehingga tidak boleh difahami dengan mudah. Lebih banyak perkataan yang boleh dibinasakan adalah lebih baik. Cth: ittew = itu, jew = jerk (sahaja), wat = buat.

2.    2. Objektifnya ialah untuk menjadikan perkataan itu lebih unik, bukan lebih ringkas. Cth: sork = esok, noe = know, rawks = rocks

3.    3. Lebih banyak titik……adalah lebih baik…. Kerana titik-titik ini menunjukkan personaliti yang lebih matang….. dan menunjukkan yang kita ini sudah bergelar dewasa….. tak begitu?

4.    4. Huruf besar, huruf kecil, koma, titik, titik bertindih… semuanya tidak memainkan peranan dalam satu-satu ayat. Perbanyakkan titik, itulah petuanya.

Dengan ‘kemajuan’ ini adakah bahasa kita akan maju? Is it so wrong to use a proper language?

Tunes I Listen To... Often!

I can’t say that music is my oxygen because I can actually drive without turning on the radio (unlike me daughter) but I like music. Once in a while there are songs that stay in my soul, tunes that I prefer over the rest, melodies that prompt my sing along. My preference is based neither on the hotness of the artist nor the popularity of the songs. It’s solely based on me, my feelings. So here they go, my favorite tunes of all times.

My All by Mariah Carey

Though I have issues with my husband liking her a bit too much, I must admit that she deserves to be the queen of the divas. If someone has this much of talent, it’s a waste not to go diva-va-vavoom. My All is the cliché-est of the songs but the song carries me away like nobody’s business. I can hit it once and then again and again and again… and I do sing along to the loathe of the people around me. Haha! In fact many people think that they can actually carry this song in singing competitions. Repeat after me: I CANNOT CARRY MY ALL AT ALL. Again.. I CANNOT…You would not only regret that you even attempt the song, you will also be booted out in any round you’re in.

Lips of An Angel by Hinder

Don’t you wanna be the other woman while listening to this number? I do. Haha! The husky voice of the vocal and the lyrics of the song can bring you to the emo-land. Why lah the guy picked up the phone and started singing in the video clip. Potong betul. Anyhow, this is one of my favorite tunes of all time. “Coming from the lips of an angel, hearing those words it makes me weak…” haha!

All I Wanna Do by Sheryl Crow

“All I wanna do is have a little fun before I die," says the man next to me out of nowhere.. All I wanna do is have some fun.. yeah baby yeah. This song was made 17 years ago and it has won a Grammy. I don’t know any other Sheryl Crow’s song but I reckon this song made Sheryl Crow. Sue me if I’m wrong. All I wanna do is have some fun, don’t you?

Losing My Way by Justin Timberlake

Oh JT… I’m hooked with Losing My Way. Sexy Ladies and Sexy Back are gorgeous songs but Losing My Way is my favorite. The beat, the lyrics, the crying for help. I just love it, I can feel you, Bob.

One by Mary J Blige and Bono (U2)

Did I disappoint you? Or leave a bad taste in your mouth? You act like you never have love, and you want me to go without…. I have three versions of this song, one by U2 and another one by Gleek. They are all marvelous! Mary J is so intense, her version is the best! You ask me to enter, but then you make me crawl, and I can’t be holding on, to what you got when all you got is hurt… One…

What are you favorite tunes of all times?

What Color for Raya?

It's not even puasa and I'm talking about raya already. But we have to prepare-lah! The usual question is -- what color are we going to look for this raya? We don't have to buy the same hue and the same fabric but if we are color coordinated, the photos would turn out better, wouldn't they? Last year we went for blue, the year before that, it was yellow and what about this year? 

This year we yet to choose any color but I think it's time already because by the end of this month, my eyes would be looking around for raya dresses. I have four choices in mind right now but I want to do pros and cons for these colors. Perlu ke?

Pilihan pertama: Gray
I think it's a sophisticated color if you can find the right gray tone or we can go to outerspace after the raya prayer. Probably difficult to look for nice baju kurung or kebaya in this color because it's less celebratory as compared to the real colors like red or blue. How about if I look for fabric macam kain pelikat in this tone? Kelakar?

Pilihan kedua: Green
We are both crazy about green but again, dark green or light green. Me like the dark one and I think my husband prefers the lighter one. And if I want to choose my dresses, it should be less green and more white with a touch of green because my husband's baju Melayu would be all green. But, would it be a sin to switch? He would wear more white with a touch of green? A bit weird though. Yaya would look good in anything. Haha!

Pilihan ketiga: Beige
Too wedding-y? The right beige would bring out the best in us, photo wise. Ke? Tamy, apa pendapat anda? I could imagine my husband looks handsome in this color but what about me? Songket type of fabric with white chiffon hijab looks astounding in my mind, but could I find it in the market, ready made? Anybody finds anything, calling-calling me okay!

Pilihan keempat: Burgundy
I love this color. I think it pops. But I don't want to wear all burgundy. Satin burgundy baju melayu for my hubby with a silver songket and me wearing something made of silk or chiffon. Can or no?? The more I think about, the more it doesn't work. But it depends on what I'll find in the market.

Raya is around the corner, and we need to choose color. After that only we'll move on to kuih, langsir, angpow, dishes on pagi raya, etc. But before all of this, puasa is coming on my birthday.

An Open Note to Zyra Collection

I went to the website www.zyracollection because I wanted to support a Malaysian company doing business online and to be exact, I wanted to support three young Malaysian ladies who want to start a business. I even praised you in my blog.

I paid you on Monday and you promised to send me the order within that week. I emailed you last Friday – no reply. I waited until Monday and I emailed you again. NO REPLY. Is it so hard to answer a client via email. It’s not even a phone call, you don’t have to listen to me. Just type a few words, probably start with “We are sorry” and you could save the image of your company. Is that too much to ask? If you don't know how.. what you do is click reply button and start writing.

I’m disappointed by the level of service and your company’s professionalism. I’m your new customer and you treat me like you couldn’t be bothered. Okay then, this would be the last time you heard from me. And as I’m writing this, I still haven’t received my order and there’s no courtesy email or phone call to explain why. And the best part is.. you are in Malaysia! No staggering cost to communicate, just effort, and again, you couldn’t care less.

And for your information, my colleague bought one tudung from your company for me and I must say, the quality is pathetic. Jahitan terkeluar, berbulu-bulu. To create a brand, you have to maintain high quality. I’m guessing, your quality of product is similar to your quality of service. One word: Terrible.

My Birthday Wishlist

My birthday this year would probably fall on the first day of puasa, meaning that we can only celebrate it after berbuka. That's not a problem, is it? As long as I have a birthday and it's not like we are going to celebrate it during lunch anyways.

2010-1974=36. That's my proud age. I never conceal my age because it's pointless. At 36,I'm happy and fulfilled. I have a husband that cares so much about me and our family and I have a daughter who means the world to me. What more could I ask for?

For this birthday, quite many actually. Haha! I'm joking. But I do have a wishlist for this birthday. It's not a sin to wish. :-)

The top five items in my list would be:

5. DKNY Delicious Candy Apple Perfume - OMG, Girlfriend.. the smell is gorgeous! I love it so much. Bought a bottle and finished it in less than two months. What can I say, I'm loving it. The thing about perfume is, I have to be able to smell it myself. Most perfumes I had, I smell nothing! This one, I smell it on me! I know it's special edition but it's my birthday. If I could get another bottle of this sweet baby, I'd be sooo happy. Hehe.

2. Bling Bling Watch - I love bling-bling. It's not very often that I'm attracted to watches because most of them are boring. I want something with a lot of bling, so when you look at it, your eyes would go blink!!!!

3. A Look-At-Me-I-Have-A-Gorgeous-Ring-And-You-Dont Ring - I'm so in love with rings! I have a few now and I love them so much. My husband bought one in Korea and that's my absolute favorite. Bought a couple in Germany, my treasures. Bought one from Iris, many people love that piece because of its pastel colored stones and subtleness. And one more is from.. i forgot but it's fuschia. So for this birthday, give me a ring. I like!

2. Morning After Rebecca Minkoff handbag - Been salivating for this baby for sometimes already but is it too big? Somehow when I look at the bag, I think it's me. Nattalina has a different idea but she's not me, is she? Haha! So, this is one of the items in my wishlist this year.

1. Spending my birthday with my family - Topping my list is to spend my birthday with my sweethearts! My husband whom I love with all my heart and my daughter who brings so much joy into our lives. Please celebrate my birthday with me, my loves. You both make me really happy and I love you both to death!

I'm On Oat Diet. Really?

First things first. I'm not dieting. I just plan to reduce a few kilos by eating. At this moment I'm on the far side of size M, entering L. I want to be going down to the other side of M, close to S. There are a few ways to doing this.

First, exercise - It should be the lifestyle but somehow, i'm lazy. I rather spend my time watching exercise video than doing the actual exercise. Maybe I should take up Yoga again but I might doze off on a session.

Second, diet - This is hard because I like food. I don't eat much but I like the taste of food. Steak, fried chicken, meehoon goreng mamak, all good. I'm eating at a reduced portion since I was young so shall i reduce it more to only two spoonfuls?

Third, Health Supplements - Been there, done that, failed miserably every time and losing money while doing it. I can't stick to any routine! It feels forced. If I do start, I don't want to be disrupted or I'll quit instantly. This is not working at all. bye bye Herbalife after second try, My fault, totally.

Fourth, Skinny Pills - Nope. Don't need that for now.

My option now is to eat oat. My nephew - Runner up of Mr Fitness 2010 (Mr Zainal Ariffin bin Hassan) advised me to eat oat. Oat for breakfast, a bit of rice for lunch, oat for dinner or soup. He told me I could lose a lot of weight in 2 weeks. I might not be following the routine religiously but I did eat oat for breakfast and dinner (I think I should be careful with the sugar to see some results) If I didn't lose a lot of weight, at least I get rid of the cholesterol.

My current weight is XXkg - I'll update again on 1 August to see the difference in percentage.