童話 - Fairytale

I don't listen to much Chinese songs, as I don't understand most of them, but this is one song I really like. Oh, and the video's a real tearjerker. Dammit *sniff*

童話

忘了有多久　再沒聽到你
對我說你最愛的故事
我想了很久　我開始慌了
是不是我又做錯了甚麼

你哭著對我說　童話裡都是騙人的
我不可能是你的王子
也許你不會懂　從你說愛我以後
我的天空星星都亮了

我願〔要〕〔會〕變成童話裡
你愛的那個天使
張開雙手　變成翅膀守護你
你要相信　相信我們會像童話故事裡
幸福和快樂是結局

- 光良 (Guang Liang)

Translation:
I've forgotten how long it has been
since I've never again...
listened to you telling your beloved fairytale
I've thought for a long time
I start to panic
have I done something wrong?

You said to me with full of tears
Inside the fairytale are all lies
I can't possibly be your prince
Maybe you can ever understand
You said I love you ever after
The stars in my sky has lightened up

I'm willing to be
that angel you love inside the fairytale
Spread up my hands to
become the wings to protect you
You must believe
believe that we can be like that in the fairytale
with "happily ever after" as the ending

Click here to listen.
Click here to watch the video.

Encounter With A Road Bully

I had a really pissy encounter with a road bully this morning. I have to say, this was definitely my first time, and boy, was it unpleasant.

I went to the bank in the morning with a colleague to renew my road tax (it expires tomorrow; yep, I'm a massive procrastinator). He needed to get his road tax and insurance renewed too, so we figured we'd carpool to our respective banks. He waited for me in the car as I went to do my thing in the bank (parking was horrendous at the area; it was best to just have someone wait in the car).

After I settled my road tax, I started walking out of the bank, towards the car, when this pickup truck reversed pretty close to my car. My colleague honked the driver, to alert him that he's backing up a tad too close, and to my surprise and disgust, the driver stuck out his head out of the window, and started yelling at us in Hokkien, "there's enough space lah! Honk for what? @#$%!!" He was really loud, and attracted quite a lot of passerbys.

I got into my car, and that was when the driver actually got out of his car, started yelling some more, came to my car, to the driver's area. I couldn't alert my colleague to lock the door in time. The driver actually OPENED the car door, STUCK his head in, and yelled obscenities at us, asking us why we're honking at him when there was enough space for him to back into.

I got really angry, and started yelling back in Hokkien, "enough already, enough already, let's go! Let's go!!" The driver still had his hand on my car door, but it was a good thing my colleague was strong enough to pull the door shut and locked it. We were both fuming mad, and the fella was still yelling as we drove away (at that point, I thought he looked like a fool screaming at no one). Too bad he couldn't hear me with my doors and windows shut, because I was seriously yelling my head off. Yeah I know, there's no point in wasting my saliva, but I had to let it out. Yet ... honestly? I was pretty scared.

Despite all the yelling back and forth, I realised that things could get really messy if there weren't passerbys around the area. The driver looked quite well-dressed, and the pickup looked pretty new, but his attitude and behaviour resembled a neandertal's. I was thinking that if he wouldn't let go of the door, I'd press on the horn non-stop till the guards from the bank come forward. At least I would be able to draw more attention to our cars, and he wouldn't be able to try any hanky panky anyway.

Man, my blood's still boiling from the incident. Seriously, people could look so decent from the outside, but in actual fact are total barbarians. Too bad I couldn't take a photo of the bugger at the time (well, to be honest, I would be too chicken to do so anyway); at least it would serve as a warning to the public to be aware of such a road bully. Grrr.

Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel

I bought this at Sasa a few days ago:

Pro Sebum Gel is a beauty-salon-formulation gel to clear both blackheads and whiteheads on affected skin area without painful extraction. This daily maintenance gel also slows down oil secretion, leaving skin clear and producing smooth visible results in 10 pain-free days.

I've been reading a lot about this. I have never used Cellnique products before, although it's getting more and more popular these days. Apparently, Cellnique's so confident in their product that they are actually offering a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with it. I have never heard of a money-back guarantee for skincare products before; this is definitely my first.

I've always had problems with blackheads and open pores around my nose. Beauticians gladly attack my nose with the blackhead remover every time I go for facials (ouch!). So far, the reviews I've read for this have been pretty positive. Of course, the blackheads were not 100% removed, but there was significant improvement.

I like it that it's doesn't smell funny, and most importantly, it is oil-free. I MUST have oil-free products on my face, as I sadly suffer from an oily T-zone. So far, I've only used it for two days, so I can't say I see much improvement on my nose area yet. The blackheads do appear lightened though. Or maybe I'm just being positive. I guess I have to be, for RM139. Yikes.

Will keep y'all posted if there really is significant improvement after 10 days. That's what the box claimed anyway.

This is not a sponsored post. Just thought I'd try a hand at reviewing products which I use.

Our Wedding Blog

Update: I have removed the link to the wedding blog. If you wish to view the site, please drop me an email. Thanks.

The wedding blog's ready; do visit us here. With that site, I shall not mention any more wedding stuff here. Well, unless it's absolutely necessary. Hehe. Your comments and suggestions are very much welcomed; we need as much help as we can get.

It's going to be a weekend of relaxation for me, i.e. gonna stay at home, do a bit of tidying up (the room's a bit of a mess right now, with my luggage and stuff still unpacked), watch the telly ... that sort of thing. You know what they say, the less you go out, the less you tend to spend.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Comments And A New Blog

I've finally managed to reply the comments posted on my blog. See, this is what happens when I have to moderate the comments which come in. All the extra work, sheesh. Anyways, muchos apologies for not leaving any comments on your blogs lately; I've only just finished reading posts from the last 10 days. Man, y'all sure are real happenin' ;)

I'm currently in the midst of starting a new blog, which will focus on my wedding preparations and all. I figured it would be better to separate my personal blog from the wedding one, 'cos believe me, not everyone's keen on reading about weddings over and over again (I was one of 'em). It will be a writing ground for me to pen my thoughts and ideas, which would, most importantly, serve as a lovely record for the fiance and I. I hope to keep wedding talk to a minimum, if possible, not at all, over here. Will let y'all know when it's up and running.

A short note:
Kleio, thanks for the Z-list angpow. I shall get to that soon when I have the time.

Paris, ahh ... another meme. Interesting one, this time. I too shall get to that soonish.

Of Being Engaged & Sorting Out The Income Tax Thingy

I'm finally back at the office after over a week away from it. It was very quiet, and the attendance was rather pathetic, as most of my colleagues were still enjoying their CNY holidays in their respective hometowns. I would so have liked to take this whole week off too, but no thanks to having to salvage as much annual leave as I can, I had to drag my tired ass to work today.

I gained about a sad kilo over the CNY holidays, thanks to all the yummy food (and not-so-yummy ones ... everyone's a glutton during CNY, whether the food's good or not). Gonna have to get back to my exercise regime, and also to tighten my yo-yo diet, if I'm gonna fit into my wedding gown ;)

Speaking of which, it is still pretty weird to think that I'm now engaged to be married, and that my single days would soon be over. It's even weirder to call your boyfriend your fiance. I'm still trying to grasp all that has happened the past week, which was a whirlwind of events. What seemed even weirder is that, not long ago, I was helping to plan a girlfriend's wedding, and now that it's my own, I feel lost. Gotta get my bearings together, and head out of the clouds first, before I really start to sort things out. I made a pact with the boyfriend to not talk about wedding plans and details for more than twice a week, unless it's necessary, as I do not want to put so much emphasis in planning a wedding, and in the end, forgetting what's truly important in a relationship. I've read of couples who worked their asses off (the brides, that is. What can I say, we women are perfectionists) in planning the perfect wedding, but ended up putting a major strain in the beginning of their marriage to their other half. I certainly do not want that.

With the proposal (I just might tell you how that went, we'll see ;)), many events kickstarted. Like planning a wedding. Meeting the folks (that went pretty all right, thank the Lord). Searching for a job Down Under (which is going to be bloody difficult, given that I'm still here, without an Australian PR and/or work permit). Still surviving my current job. Sigh. Lord, I pray for strength to overcome all these. I have faith that You'll be with us, guiding us through this period. Amen.

Anyhoos, first things first - gotta sort out the income tax thingy. Does anyone know when the deadline to submitting the income tax thingy is? I don't think my company's handed us our J-forms yet though, so it musn't be in February. Gosh, I'm hopeless in such things.

Back From CNY Hols

Finally back from my holiday. Lots of things happening all at once, shall update when I can. Right now, I just need to catch my breath. Hope y'all had a good holiday. I sure did ;)

Engaged

He popped the question.

I said yes.

CNY Hiatus

Starting tomorrow, I will be away on a week-long break. I shall most likely have no access to the Internet, hence, I will not be able to post anything for a while. Maybe it's a good thing too; I've had complaints of my being in front of the computer for too long now. It's time to greet the world again :)

To those celebrating the Chinese New Year, I wish you all a very happy new year. Eat up and be merry. For those who will be driving back to their hometowns for the season, do be safe on the road. And to everyone else, have a fabulous holiday.

Tine will be back soon ;)

How To Write A Proper Resignation Letter

So apparently, there are a few ways of writing a letter of resignation.

First of all, you have the short and informal letter.

Or you can try something a little more formal.

Better yet, fill in all the details. I'm sure your boss would 'appreciate' it.

If all else fails,

Hmmm ... I'm torn between the first and fourth. What can I say, little words mean a lot ;)

Random Ramblings Of The Day

So glad it's Friday. The boyfriend is finally coming home for the Chinese New Year holidays tomorrow. I haven't seen him in four months ... and boy, it sure was a long wait. Takes a lot of hard work to keep the fire going in a long-distanced relationship. Especially when you're going through rough patches on your own. I'm very excited to seeing him again this Sunday (duh, obviously :p).

*******

The bosses belanja-ed everyone in the department mandarin oranges today in light of the upcoming festive season. Yay, free kum!

*******

My project won RM600 at a company-wide technical assessment, which is to be divided amongst three project members. Cheh, was really expecting a lot more (at least a four figure sum). Geram.

*******

Why are there no decent Chinese movies for the Chinese New Year season?! Are there even any?

*******

Anna Nicole Smith died. Shocking.

*******

Man, the time sure drags when you're just waiting to go home.

Quiet Nights And Quiet Stars

I imagined dancing with him to this.

Aldo Luongo's Tango En Passion

Quiet nights and quiet stars
Quiet chords from my guitar
Floating on the silence that surrounds us

Quiet nights and quiet dreams
Quiet walks by quiet streams
And the window lookin' on the mountains and the sea how lovely

This is where to be
Here with you so close to me
Till the final flicker of life's ember

I who was lost and lonely
Believing life was a only a bitter tragic joke
Have found with you the meaning of existence oh, my love
- Shigeko Suzuki (Antonio Carlos Jobim)

Click here to listen.

Comments Are Now Moderated

Many thanks to the original authors who replied my emails on clarifying the offensive comments. Just as I expected, the comments were not written by them. Apparently there are trolls (yeps, sorry, not spammers) lurking about the blogosphere, creating havoc by imposting other bloggers. I'm not sorry to call these trolls cowards; if you wanna say something, have the guts to say it's from you. If not, don't even bother saying it at all.

Sigh ... I was hoping that I do not need to moderate the comments which readers leave on my blog. Sad to say that I cannot trust everyone to leave proper comments. I'm not saying that I do not welcome criticism; by all means, go ahead. Please tell me if there are areas which I need to improve upon, and no, I don't just mean my blog. After all, we're all here on a learning journey. But when there are people who cross the line and leave inappropriate comments (racist, religious, etc) when they are uncalled for, I'm afraid this is something I cannot and will not accept. From now on, all comments will be moderated. Self-censorship, as they say?

Spammers Stay Away!

UPDATE: I have enabled comments moderation for the time being, until this mess is sorted out. To my faithful readers, my humble apologies.

I've been receiving derogatory comments of late (which had NOTHING whatsover to do with my entries), which I had to remove. These are comments with curses and blasphemous words which are slanderous against me. To top it up, there were also religious comments which were absolutely unnecessary.

I believe these comments are not written by the original authors, but by people who are using their names to leave such horrible comments on other people's blogs. Is anyone else facing this problem with spammers who are not only a sandwich short of a picnic, but cowards as well?

I do not wish to activate comments moderation, but if this shit keeps up, I'm going to have to do so.

To those who posted such nonsense on my blog, you have no business here. If you do not like what I'm writing, please stay the hell away. Practise a little courtesy in not leaving your unwanted footprints behind.

Five Fragrance Faves

Oh my, another meme, eh? Tagged by Bea this time, and I'm gonna say, it's going to be a lil' tough for me to describe my favourite perfume. I don't understand the different tones each perfume has, nor do I understand what they mean by citrusy (err, meaning it smells like oranges?), woodsy (apa macam kayu?), floral (honestly, I tried sticking my nose into flowers; they don't smell all that good, except for roses), etc.

Anyways, here's a list of my favourite perfume, in no particular order. I won't be able to tell you exactly what it smells like, but I'll tell you why I love 'em.


Elizabeth Arden's Fifth Avenue

A very classy fragrance, which I snuck a few sprays everytime I stop by mum's dressing table. I was probably in Form 1 or 2 when Dad bought this for mum, and I've always loved it. This was the first perfume which I do not think stinks, compared to the heavy Chanel stuff Mum uses. This perfume is surprisingly still quite expensive, despite all of Arden's other perfume ranges.


Clinique's Happy Heart

This is my absolute favourite, and I wear this to work every day. Again, it was part of mum's stash (she has a table ful of perfume, thanks to my dad who gets her a bottle everytime he's away on business trips), before she got me a bottle of my own for my birthday a couple of years ago. It's not strong, which I really like. I can't stand overly powerful fragrances, like the ones from Chanel. There's a bottle of Chanel Cristalle that my dad got me, which I only used twice.


Givenchy's My Givenchy!

Again, not a strong perfume, which I like. It's quite ... err ... citrusy (I think, 'cos I think I smelt oranges. Tee hee hee). This perfume means a lot to me as it was the first expensive perfume I bought for myself, and it was from Japan. My stay in Japan for the past year and a half has not been easy; it was very stressful at work, and also being on my own, in a strange land where I cannot communicate. I always try to get myself something nice after my trips, and My Givenchy was my very first.


Estee Lauder's Pleasures Exotic

When Estee Lauder's Pleasures first came out, I thought it smelt rather unique. I had a bottle of it, but gave it to mum in the end because it got too strong for my liking. When I was given the Exotic, I was rather skeptical in using it, as I thought it would be as strong as its predecessor. To my surprise, the fragrance was lighter, and definitely smelt better than the original. Plus, I think the bottle's real pretty, with embossed flowers.


Lancome's Hypnose

This was given by the boyfriend, which was, in actual fact, one of the first presents he gave me. I love the shape of the bottle (very unique and ... err ... "angle-y"), and the scent's refreshing. I like wearing this when I go out in the evenings, as the fragrance is long-lasting.


Well, I'm gonna extend this to Paris, TrueBluePenangite and Kleio to find out what their faves are ;)

A Birthday Poem

Once a year I get the chance
To wish you birthday cheer.
It pleases me no end to say,
I wish you another great year.

So happy birthday to you, J,
From the bottom of my heart.
And may your good times multiply,
Till they’re flying off the chart!

Many happy returns to cousin J.

Forced To Change To New Blogger

Blogger just pissed me off big time. I've been adamant in not moving to the new Blogger because of all the known problems it gave. I was determined to stay at my current one, which I had no problems with.

Until I was met with this.

I could no longer stay with the old Blogger. No matter what I did, I came back to that stupid page. The bloody platform forced me to change; if I do not switch to the new Blogger, I can't access my blog. It had better not give me problems, or else. Gah!

DAMMIT!

Love By Grace

grace (noun)
a. unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification
b. a virtue coming from God
c. a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace

I remember the rain on the roof that morning
And all the things that I wanted to say
The angry words that came from nowhere
without warning
That stole the moment and sent me away
And you standing there at the doorway crying
And me wondering if I'd ever be back

I said I didn't come here to leave you
I didn't come here to lose
I didn't come here believing I would ever be
away from you
I didn't come here to find out
There's a weakness in my faith
I was brought here by the power of love
Love by grace

And I remember the road just went on forever
Just couldn't seem to turn that car around
'Till in the distance like a long lost treasure
A phone booth that just could not be found
And you standing there at the doorway waiting
And the moment when we laid back down

That was just a moment in time
And one we'll never forget
One we can leave behind
'Cause when there was doubt
You'll remember I said

I didn't come here believing I would ever be
away from you
I didn't come here to find out
There's a weakness in my faith
I was brought here by the power of love
I was brought here by the power of love
Love by grace
- Lara Fabian

Click here to listen

My Favourite Malaysian Bloggers

Many thanks to Paris for listing my blog as one of her regular reads. Muchos touched :)

Ahhh ... tagged by her once again, and this time, it's a meme on five of my favourite Malaysian bloggers.

Aww, man! Choosing only five is no easy feat, as I'm a huge blog addict, from Malaysian blogs to the international ones. I'm quite embarrassed to admit that I read over 20 blogs each day (and these are the REGULAR ones). Yep, I'm THAT kay po.

The blogs I read are either real funny, controversial or both. It's good to maintain a balance; there are plenty of good writers out there. You wanna know the latest happenings in Malaysia or even the world? Instead of heading to news sites like BBC or The Star, just check out PPS. Chances are, there'll be more than 5 bloggers writing on the same issues. Great source of info; it's like Malaysian's very own Craiglist. Hehe.

Anyways, I digress. Here is my list of favourite Malaysian bloggers, which I regularly read, in no particular order:

Serendipidity in the making
Okay, I'm obviously going to be biased here, cos she's my cousin, but yeah, her blog RAWKS. Her rants on crazy Malaysian drivers are hilarious, and doing what she does, man, does she have access to celebrities (albeit local) or what? A very good writer, with a heart of gold. And her dog, Patches, is absolutely adorable.

Paris Beaverbanks
I first got to 'know' Paris from her beauty blog. I enjoy her writing, whether it's on beauty stuff, or just on her everyday musings (she's also got pretty good budget tips). Yep, we're both crazzzy bag fans, all right. Tee hee hee!

But Enough About You
I enjoy this blog so much, that I read ALL of his entries from the start, TWICE. He's really funny, and everyone's just dying to see how he looks like, and his man, NM. He's a very good writer, with his wit and dry humour, he never failed to crack me up with his posts. He's also a very creative artist. I do not know him, but I wish I do. It really is too bad that he's stopped blogging now. This man will go far.

Shattered
A Malaysian joining the rat race in Singapore. Super funny writer, especially on his observations while taking the bus to work. I just starting lurking on this blog not too long ago, and what I see, I like.

Jemima's Journal
This is not your usual blog of ramblings and rants. She's candid with her feelings, which were beautifully written on her blog. The pictures she uses with each entry complements her words.


Don't think I'm gonna tag anyone today. I've got another meme on my hands, so feel free to nick this for your own ;)

Thaipusam Holiday at Queensbay

My Thaipusam holiday was spent at Queensbay Mall. Sad, huh? It was mum's idea, actually.

"Girl, let's all do something exciting tomorrow, as a family", mum suggested.

"Oh, okay, where shall we go? Drive somewhere for good food?"

"Let's all, as a family ... go to Queensbay!"

" ... "

Can't argue my way out of a family outing, so, we headed off to Queensbay, which, by the way, was fully-packed with people. Sometimes I wonder, oi, where do all these people come from?! Man, if some weird-ass terrorist were to bomb that shopping mall, probably half of Penang's population will be wiped out. Yeah, no kidding.

Anyhoos, walked around the mall a bit, shopped a bit. A lot of shops were already either heavily decorated with Chinese New Year paraphernalia, Valentine's Day's mushy hearts and whatnots, or both. I've only been to the mall thrice, and I have yet to see everything.

Had lunch at T.G.I.Friday's. I was quite skeptical when my parents suggested Friday's for lunch, what with the bad reviews of the Penang branch and all. Moreover, my colleagues had a bad run-in with their staff too; they complained that the staff were obnoxious, and the service was poor. To my surprise, we had pretty good service today. The staff who attended to us were really polite (mum was pretty appalled at them kneeling on the floor while taking our orders though. I had to reassure her that it's the norm for all the Friday's I've been too, which was one in KL, and two in Japan). Although the food came rather slowly, the portions were large, and we had a good meal. I just might return to Friday's in the near future, just to see if the service deteriorates. Hehe.

Damnit, just bit my gum eating oranges just now. Gonna have a huge ulcer soon :(

I Pray

I was first introduced to this song by Hester over a year ago. I was going through a very rough time, and I was an emotional wreck. My faith in God was severely tested, and many a time, I wanted to give up on life.

The first thing which attracted me to the song was the very soothing rhythm and tune, before I start to fully understand the lyrics. I'm a banana too, and I cannot read Chinese, but with Hester's help, I was able to understand every line.

With every line, the words spoke and ministered to me. And after a very long time, I started to pray once again.

禱告

禱告 因為我渺小
禱告 因為我知道我需要
明了 你心意對我重要

禱告 已假裝不了
禱告 因為你的愛我需要
你關懷 我走過的你都明白

有些事我只想要對你說
因你比任何人都愛我
痛苦從眼中流下
我知道你為我擦

在早晨我也要來對你說
主耶穌今天我為你活
所需要的力量都天天賜給我
你恩典夠我用

- 讚美之泉

Translation:
I pray, for I am nothing
I pray, for I clearly know what I need
To seek Your will as it's shown to me

I pray, for I am searching
I pray, for Your love is what I need
On my knees, through the valleys, You walk with me

Some things I only want to let You know
'Cause no one loves me like You do, my Lord
Though tears of pain may fall
You're with me, I have no doubt

As day breaks, Lord, I wanna cry out to You
'Cause You so love me, You'll pull me through
The strength that I need, I receive every morning
Your grace is all I need

Click here to listen.