about weather

because great ideas sometimes happen in the shower

because i take long showers (i know i hog bathroom space and use up a lot of electricity but it's so nice and warm in there!)

and because my brain refuses to rest and be quiet when i'm resting, but appears to 'take a break' when i most need it to work (thanks brain!)

so we're now approaching the yucky part of autumn with lots of rain, worms and cold. most of the trees are now resembling prince william's head (poor guy, he should do something about it). and it's rather gloomy all around.

before i came to a place with a temperate climate (read: four seasons), the phrase 'winter of our lives' never really meant much to me. sure, i knew what winter was supposed to look like... snow and hot chocolate and snowmen... haha, but no one actually mentioned the bitter wind, the shivering in the room when the heaters are not turned on, the endless rain... the ugliness of trees not having leaves and hardly any flowers around.

i don't know if anyone uses 'winter of our lives' to mean when we grow old... but i use it to mean times of trial and testing.

and it's so fitting that winter be used to describe trials. cos frankly, i like winter least of all the seasons. like tough times, winter just tests you and tries your patience, one grey day at a time. and sometimes you just find it so difficult to get up from the embrace of your warm, comfy, delightful duvet because it's just too cold outside.

but one thing i learn, no matter how much i would rather avoid hard times... they're actually good for me. waiting and persevering actually brings me closer to God. and as cliche as it might sound, builds my character. i know i've grown more because of those times where i was tested. there were times when i failed, but the beauty of love is that no matter how silly we've been, He is always there to pick us up and lead us back on track. winter might seem despairingly endless, but one day... it breaks, and hola! daffodils (i LOVE them!!!!). i think i'll always love daffodils because they seem like the first rays of colour and sunshine that pierces through the gloom of winter. like hope :)

and ducklings, and tulips... but i digress.

on a side topic, i watched thor today. in 3D. pretty good watch. but not really worth watching in 3D i think. but on the plus side, the screen was huge as, and we had reeeally comfy seats with lots of leg space. no cramp seats where you have to get up for the people to pass you. haha.

being malaysian

got this in an email. so hilarious i just had to share :)

MALAYSIAN EXCUSES

So, which is yours?
NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR HAIR LOSS:
Ajinomoto

NATIONAL INSTANT FOOD :
Maggi Mee.

NATIONAL BREAKFAST :
Nasi Lemak

NATIONAL LUNCH :
Nasi Ayam

NATIONAL SUPPER :
Roti Canai & Teh Tarik

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE:
Traffic Jam.

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (MEN):
Food Poisoning.

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (WOMEN):
Menstrual Pain

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIARRHOEA :Cap Kaki Tiga. Down one bottle with warm water and you are all 'dried up'.

NATIONAL CURE FOR HEADACHES:
Panadol. The 'cure for all'. If it fails we have another secret weapon : Tiger Balm.

NATIONAL CURE FOR NAUSEA :
Moh Fah Kor.

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIZZINESS:
Minyak Angin Cap Kapak.


NATIONAL WATCH :
Petaling Street 'boutique' watch

NATIONAL WATCH FOR YUPPIES :
Petaling Street 'boutique' Rolex

NATIONAL RICE COOKER :
'NATIONAL' Rice Cooker

NATIONAL RUBBISH DUMP:
Anywhere. As long as it is not your house.

NATIONAL MOST MIS-PRONOUNCED NAME:
Carrefour. Sometimes even pronounced as Carry 4!
On second thoughts, why bother pronouncing those French brands
like Peugeot, Renault or Citroen correctly.
I think it sounds better,when the local mechanics say 'Pew Jeot'.
When I was in school, Milo was always 'Mee Lo', now that I'm sophisticated, I say 'My Lo'.
So don't be embarassed saying 'Carry 4' when the Mat Sallehs shamelessly pronounce orang utan as 'rangutan'.

i'm currently going through a modern family craze. have just finished watching all the episodes i can get off the hub for season 2.

and the more i watch it the more i feel like i resemble claire. i mean, if i were to grow up and become a housewife with a husband and 3 kids, i think there would be a high chance i would end up being like her. minus the "and five months later..., we were four months away from having our little bundle of joy" part. she's bossy, she runs the show, she a perfectionist, and she does a great job at most stuff. doesn't sound very flattering, but if you watched the show you would know better what i'm trying to get at. haha.

and though i didn't like phil (the husband) very much in the beginning of the show, i have a feeling i'll eventually end up with someone rather similar; spontaneous, easy going type of guy.

now i've got to find another series to follow. hmm any suggestions?

men...

this is going to be rather controversial. so i'm sorry if i stepped on any toes or hurt anyone directly or indirectly.


what happened to guys who actually respected women? what happened to men who saved their virginity for their wives? what happened to guys who made a conscious decision to keep their thought life and their physical conducts (especially with their girl friends) pure?

seriously, where are they?


i'm so tired of hearing those people who try to keep themselves from sexual sin being slammed as gays, or wusses. well guess what? it takes more strength to resist touching a woman in a way that compromises her self worth, than to just give in to temptation. and i know i probably don't understand as much being a girl (and having much less testosterone), but it is not impossible. it will be damn hard but it is NOT impossible.

i respect those men who make that commitment. i really do. it's not easy when everyone's doing it, and sex (or anything that is related) is just taken for granted.

it's not to say that girls don't have these temptations as well... trust me, they do. i know. but being with a partner who has strong principles does help a lot. and to me, the guy is usually the one who takes the lead in a relationship, hence if he leads by making a stand, i think the girl will find it easier to follow as well. that is, from my perspective of course.

and yes, girls should do all they can to help as well. like understanding the need for boundaries. and really making a firm decision not to compromise. which is tough. and although a lot of people are going to hate me for saying this, i suppose we should also watch what we wear. it's a proven fact that men are more visual... so yeah. i don't like it either, having to have to always watch what i wear, but if it'll help my brothers... then i guess i don't mind covering up a lil bit.

didn't want it to end up sounding preachy... but i really am sick of excuses saying that it's impossible to do this and do that.

when irritated just listen to the happiest song you can find. soothes the irritation a bit.

man i hate the feeling of unfinished business. and you always leave things hanging.
sigh sigh...

really don't like it when everything just gets swept under the carpet. really. don't. like. it.

christchurch memorial service

to mourn the loss of lives and land, and to remember the tragedy of the 22 Feb earthquake.

some pictures
(and in case you were wondering, yes that was prince william and hayley westenra)

some of my favourite things

blueberry muffins are awesome.

but i do believe i know something that trumps blueberry muffins. they are freshly (home)baked blueberry muffins which are fresh and hot from the oven, using fresh and juicy (real) blueberries. i just couldn't resist popping a few into my mouth while rinsing them. mmmm.


another awesome thing, is still getting gifts after my birthday :D :D



i love flowers! they just make me happy lol. i love them in a bouquet, i love them in a vase/jar/bottle, but most of all... i love them in their natural state; uncut and untarnished in the soil.

*GERAMS*

i hate being shouted at, especially when i did not do anything wrong.

grrrrrrrr

day after day

feels like i haven't been doing ANYTHING these past few weeks. days seemingly blend into each other and i'm losing track of time. just when chch is starting to get back on her feet, japan falls... and i heard the news on my birthday :S


but had a great bday nevertheless. had cake, gifts, makans... the works. even after all that's happened, earthquakes and disasters, it was still a very happy birthday. so blessed!


brunch




dinner





and i suppose... if not for the earthquake, i wouldn't have had a chance to visit melbourne this soon. seeing melb was always in the plan, but just couldn't find the right opportunity to go. to be honest, my heart was in christchurch the whole time i was there. but i did enjoy being there as well. food was awesome! oh the variety... the richness... the price! the best part was not really having a definite itinerary. we just went where we wanted, stopped wherever we fancied, ate whatever caught our eyes. good stuff. here are some photos which are also on fb, but what the heck, i'll put them up here as well.




on the brown yarra river. it was a very hot day and i had to carry too many things and listen to incessant chattering. not my finest moment. but i like the picture tho. haha.




leaving melbourne museum. i loved it in there (yes i am nerdy and i like museums), but i think the other 2 must've been pretty bored. oops!