The people that I would always miss

It's been a couple of months since the last entry. I wonder if my readers are still following me. But I don't care. You read as you please. I write as I please.

This page has become more like a hideout. No troubles, no posts. Something unsettling happens, and here I vent it all out. I guess one would have noticed the patterns.

Well, I just wanted to say that I really miss you guys a lot. A whole lot.

I don't know how else to let you all know.

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Letting go

As I lay awake on bed, with the mind shifting back and forth to all the people that has crossed paths in my life, the mind paused on him. I had contemplated to pen this, ever since that evening I watched him walked down the aisle. All the memories kept, all the hopes I had, all the fairy tales that I was anticipating, vanished on that same evening. Meeting him, all those years ago, had been what I'd liked to call a little fate. Fate had kept us close all those years. And it was also fate that 'tore' us apart.

I have been holding on for the last decade, refusing to let go, even when he has found someone else. Always wishing for a miracle. Always wishing to turn back time. Always wishing for something to ease the regrets. It has finally ended. Our fate has finally ended. And I have no one else to blame but myself. For it was non other than myself who have allowed it to happen. For it was I who have let him walked off.  I let him walked off without him knowing.

As he made his vow to her that evening, there was nothing more to be done. Nothing more to hold on to. It was finally the time to shake it all off, put it all behind and move on. Yes, it's been long enough. It really is time to move on. And let the memories fade...

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Magic!

This would be the first encounter I had with a magician. A young chap. Alvin, I guess.

Was having some drinks with friends over at this coffee house in 1st Subang when the owner of the place came over to our table to introduce him. We thought he was doing a promotion of some sort for the place until he introduced himself as a magician and up came his videographer and camera man. Oh boy! This is for real. We are going to be on TV!

He did a couple of tricks, either for pure entertainment or to show off....

 the mutilated fork

I swear that the fork was a very normal fork before he did his "magic" on it. I swear! The fork was what a fork should be. We've all seen and touched it! All he did was a few flips and the poor fork turned into that, all with his bare hands.

We reacted exactly to what you see on TV. Wide eyed and dumb-founded, with our mouths turned into a huge "O". "Wow!" "How did you do that?" "Are we hallucinating?" As much as we tried to make an explanation out of it, we couldn't find any. So we continued to be his audience.

 the bent coin

And yes, the coin was very normal before it reached his hand. He bent one side of the coin without touching it. "Surely the trick can be explained". We refuse to be taken for fools. And yet we applaud his skills.

Oh well, he succeeded in entertaining us! Perhaps we would appreciate his skills more had we been kids. Hah!

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Dilemma

C'mon fui! 

Make up your mind already!

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Subak, dine with nature

I just have the knack for places like this. Or I should say, places like this interests me. And I jump at the very instant on finding one.

A diner in the hills. Perfect! Surrounded by trees, laid out in wood and bamboo furnishings, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Accompanied by the sounds of flowing water and crickets in the backdrop along with the view of fishes swimming lazily in a pond, just serves as an ideal place for supreme relaxation.

Dining with nature, it is

Main entrance

Reception area

Dining area

Functions area

Another dining area

 Walkway

 Garden

 Restroom

 The pond

 

 Romantic, isn't it?

Did I mention it is of Balinese cuisine? Yes it is. Mixed with western and local flavours. Serves as another alternative to Bumbu Bali. Prices are reasonable as well, ranges from RM15 - RM100, right from appetizers up to desserts. 

Lamb shank

Beef ribs

Es Teller

My dream home would definitely look like this. Minus the mosquitoes, of course. 

Feel free to take a peek at Subak Restaurant  to kill your curiosity. 

Do pardon the photography skills. The camera had its limitations and I didn't quite know how to work it to its full potential.

Sunset at Subak

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Tea with Karen

Remember her? Our lead actress in the local movie Nasi Lemak 2.0? Still doesn't ring a bell? Alright, read this again to freshened up : Something I don't usually do.  

Yesterday afternoon, I was being dragged down (again) to Sungei Wang Plaza to support her road show. She is back in Malaysia now, promoting her newly released single.

And to make up for that, I get to have an afternoon tea with her. Yay! Well, it was more like she was catching up with a friend of hers, which is a friend of mine as well, and I sort of tagged along.

She introduced Caffeinees Cafe to us, located at Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur. If you are local and you know where Rendezvous is, it's just next to it. One look at it and I'd immediately fallen in love with the place.

All pictures courtesy of Google

It's sort of the same ambience as Levain Boulangerie Patisserie. English styled. Airy and spacious with lots of room for relaxation. They serve a variety of fusion cuisines. Which, suited to our taste buds very well. And affordable indeed. It is unfortunate that we didn't get to "explore" indoors as it was closed for a wedding function.

Karen was all cheery and bubbly when she arrived. "I am sooo hungry", was what she first said. It turns out that she is one who appreciates food, introducing us to cakes and coffees and diners which she found interesting. I can't help but say that she is a very humble and down-to-earth kind of a person. Very much the girl next door. No such diva antics. No sticking her nose up in cockiness. It surprises me that someone of celebrity status like hers is able to chat care-freely on just about anything. And not to mention that she makes an effort to get to know you and boy, does she have a good sense of humour.

Our little hang out lasted for about an hour and a half, which she then got to be ready for her next show. It was a real pleasure having tea with her. It was my first experience in getting up close with an artiste. And she made it a wonderful experience.

Strawberry tiramisu dessert with a strawberry yogurt drink

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The "perks" of being unemployed

The subject itself is a taboo. No one brags about being unemployed. It is unheard of in this society of ours. It's a shame. So many interviewers were skeptical on someone that has been out of job for such a long time. If you are not working and not attached to an organisation, something is surely very wrong with you. They must be thinking, "How can you not be working? Everyone has got to work." I bet the family has the exact same thoughts in mind, although they have yet to voice them out. Even friends are amazed at the number of months I spent bumming around. "You are still not working yet? How do you survive?" The basic perception is always that no one would be able to survive this fast paced society without a steady job on hand. It is a MUST to have a job!

Oh well, things are rather different for me. I believe it's all in the mind. And right now, my mind is telling me not to rush into things. That I ought to take some time to really think which path I intend to take. I shall, from now on, not to let others influence me on which route I ought to head to. So, before I have all that figured out, I shall indulge myself in all the "luxury" that all you working class peeps can't enjoy. *Grin*

- No peak hours traffic. I get to choose when to head out. Of course I am not contributing to the massive traffic jams that KL is so famous for. It's a relief not having to drive bumper-to-bumper for a couple of months. 

- No crowds at the malls. I get to go shopping without having to fuss about parking spaces and long queues. Oh, what joy!

- Movies, at my pleasure. I get to walk right into any cinema and watch whichever movie I felt like watching, without having to worry if there are tickets.

- More quality time with the family. I get to take my parents out for lunch and for tea. Or to visit some relatives, even. Things that I didn't get the time to do when I was working.

- Chilling with the sister, when she returned for a break. Having all the time in the day to gossip over Starbucks.

- Picked up a hobby. Took an interest in art and did a little painting, over good music and a cup of coffee. One of the best feelings ever. 

- Pampered myself. I had more time for grooming, beauty and health. Did more facials, manicures and hair treatments. Never felt so much better. And not to mention, so much more ample sleep.

- Slouching. Got the entire day just lazing on the couch, either to watch the TV dramas over and over again or to cuddle up with a fiction novel and get immersed in the world of fantasy.

- Catch ups. Lunches here and there. Dinners off and on. It's wonderful to be able to re-connect with close ones.

Of course there are still more to be done. Am already having plans for that volunteer work, that dance lesson and even may be try a little embroidery. And not to mention some traveling, when I can finally decide on the next place to visit. Some friends have been complaining that I was busier now than I was back when I was working.

I must say, life has been enjoyable so far. Being unemployed is not that bad. I am feeling so much at ease, so relaxed and so at peace. If I could, I wouldn't want to return to the days when I was all stressed up over deadlines and worried about beating peak hours traffic.

Well, perhaps the only worry I have now is to find a solution when the savings eventually runs out. 

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I painted it myself

I've always sucked at art. Never been good at either drawing or colouring. All my artworks at school have always garnered a "F". I'm just not creative. I don't have the flair for colours and brushes.

 So, if I told you I had painted this, all by myself.....

.....would you believe me?

Oh yes I have indeed. Amazing, isn't it? I couldn't believe it myself either. It began 5 months ago when a friend introduced me to "numbers painting". And what is that? It's a new version of DIY painting called "Paint-It-Yourself". You select your preferred picture/photo/graphic/scenery, purchase it and wahh-lahhh, you are ready to go.

Inside the purchased toolkit, you'll get all the necessary tools for you to paint at your pleasure. Your selected picture/photo/graphic/scenery will be drawn on a canvas along with numberings on them for you to match the colours which are provided as well.

Simple. Just pick up a brush, match the numbers on the canvas to the colours and you are on your way. But do keep in mind to complete the painting as soon as possible as the colours will be hardened if kept for too long, like what happened to mine.

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

All framed up

I'm proud of myself. Hah!! I finally have a piece of my own art. Definitely not for sale!

They said colours can help you to de-stress. It surely works. By immersing myself with colours, the mind was certainly at peace. Only me and my colours. Nothing else. Takes things off the head for awhile. Felt great!

And oh yeah, here's the link to the website for more information and designs of "numbers painting" http://piy.com.my/ . Enjoy!!

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Another rant

I honestly do not want to bring this up. But it has come to a point where it breached my tolerance level, once again.

I am working with morons. Too harsh. How about fools? Well, they are not exactly stupid. Yea, I think this should fit. Kids. I am working with kids. A bunch of 10 year old kids. Inexperienced and yet didn't want to learn. All talk and no action, empty vessels to be obvious. Fooled around during official meetings. No sense of urgency. Ignorant of what is really going on around. Too lax. Too naive. What in the world have I gotten myself into? Babysitting?

I do not understand. Is it me? Am I being too serious? Well, I believe everyone should be when it comes down to business. Am I being too detailed? Well, we are talking about money matters here. Am I pushing too hard? Well, we should be addressing issues and have it solved the soonest possible.

I can't stand it if questions go unanswered. Words not turned into actions. And actions not worked on promptly. Or no updates or feed backs provided in between. This is not the way I do things. This is not the way most people I know do things either.

So, you guys have got to buck up and change your ways. I am not degrading myself for your sake.

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Something I don't usually do....

I have never been to any concerts or showcases or autograph sessions or award ceremonies. Okay. May be just once. Bad experience. That's why I have never went to any of it again. Not even when Jay Chou was in town.

I disliked the screaming fans. I disliked having to crowd with a bunch of unknown people, being pushed up and down, for the sake of getting a glimpse of their idol. I don't see a point in it. Artiste are just humans as well. Nothing more. May be a little more talented. May be a little more good looking.

I declined, at first, when a close friend asked me to accompany her to watch her close friend perform. I am not standing below the stage, holding a camera and scream at some artiste. But after some persuasion, I finally went. Yes, I did. And after I heard a couple of her songs, I acknowledged her talent. Great voice. Worth to be supported.

And who is this local artiste? None other than our very own Karen Kong. Haven't heard of her? Well, perhaps you would recognize her as the leading actress in the accused controversial Nasi Lemak 2.0 movie released last year.

There she is. Right in the middle.

 For the second time after a very long time, I stood below the stage, held a camera and snapped pictures of an artiste - of her.

And, no, I didn't scream for her or asked for her autograph. I am way pass that stage. But I did wanted to get a picture together with her. Unfortunately, I have no access back stage.

Perhaps, my dear friend (if you are reading this), can make an arrangement for that?  :)

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The Grand Opening - Planet Popcorn

Starting up a business ain't easy. It was real tiring to have everything in place for the opening. Everything was last minute work. Operations training were held just 3 days before. Renovations completed just a day before. Stocks arrived just hours before. In between, there were certain administration stuffs to settle. Since we didn't have time to hire anyone yet, we did everything hands on. Even after we've split the tasks, there was still so much to do. Oh, boy!

Snap shots of the eve of the opening:

All set

Even from all the exhaustion, it was difficult to get to sleep that night. Anxious on the maiden business venture. The mind playing all kinds of scenes that would go wrong. Wondering if there was crowd to support. Wondering if we would fumble throughout the day. Wondering if we would be able to satisfy the customers. Wondering if the system would turn down on us. Many...many...many more.  

But, turns out that, all the worries were for nothing. The opening was better than expected!

Planet Popcorn - Officially launched on 23rd May 2012!

Located at the newly opened Paradigm Mall, Kelana Jaya.

 

Business have been wonderful these couple of weeks. The crowd had been awesome. We've met so many interesting people. There have been so many interesting stories to tell. But, I'll leave that to another time.

Thanks to all family and friends who came all the way to support. Appreciate the presence of all!

Let's hope that business will continue to flourish in the days to come.

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Queue or not to queue?

Dear middle-aged women,

I know that these freshly baked biscuits are extremely delicious and you can't wait to get your hands on them. From the license plates of your sons' or husbands' vehicles waiting by the road, I know that you've come a long way to get them back to your hometowns. I also do know that your child or grandchild is bawling inside the vehicle and that you are rushing back to comfort them. I understand that the owner of the bakery is a close friend of yours or your mother's or some relative.

But despite all these, it's still not a reason for you to walk straight up from a very long queue, up to the very front, and order the workers to attend to your needs first. It is just plain rude! Very ignorant and simply ill-mannered. You have no respect for others and more so for yourself. Is this how your very own parents taught you and is this the way you are going to teach your child or grandchild in the waiting vehicle?

I don't care that you are much elder than I am or that I would be labelled as rude to an elder, but you have just demonstrated that you are not to be respected. So I won't hold back in pointing out the obvious and to tell you to get back in line and wait for another 30 minutes like the rest of us did. The biscuits are not running away.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
An annoyed biscuit lover

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The Business

It started out as a joke. At a local bar for a birthday party late last year. A presumably drunken friend was lamenting about the working life and how boring it gets. He was unsatisfied working for others. He felt that there was something to be done to it and he wanted to come out on his own. He suggested a business partnership and he asked if I would be interested. Thinking that the idea was fun, I simply agreed, to get rid of him from pestering me for the rest of the night. He would have forgotten about it when he wakes up the next morning.

Little did I know, a month down the road, I got a call from him again to further discuss the venture. Apparently, he'd found a business that was worth investing. He'd even submitted a proposal to the other party and they have expressed interest in working with him. "Are you for real?" He asked me in return, "Were you for real too when you agreed the other night?" "I thought you were drunk and was just fooling around."

Nevertheless, I thought I could at least do something different with my life and sparked it up a little. Thus, I said yes to him once again and pledged my commitment. I meant it this time. And so, he got a few more to chip in and together we started our journey. Through numerous brain-storming sessions. Through numerous arguments. Through numerous researches and surveys. Through numerous meetings and discussions.

And, on 8th May 2012, the papers were officially signed. The deal was on.

Another journey has begun.....

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I've quit

Ohh, you've heard it right. Yes, I've quit. Yet again. Let's see...in just about 7 months. That's my 5th resignation in 7 years. People do wonder. "What is wrong with you?" Especially my parents. All my friends had the very same reaction, "What? Again? Gosh! How many jobs have you had already?"

I have my reasons. Although I'm uncertain which weighs more. Or if any of those were really reasons at all. The boss had been too unreasonable. He breached my tolerance level. I was applying my own working style and he couldn't accept that. I was unhappy with the 9 to 5 routine. I felt trapped behind my desk. I felt lost in a profession that got me this far and paid me so well. It was supposed to be a career that could bring me to greater heights but it wasn't the one that I wanted to pursue in the very first place.

And so I've decided to called it quits. Handed in my letter, served the notice period and turned down the 3 counter offers the boss threw my way. I've been out for 2 weeks and I've still not had a clear head yet. I've browsed all the job search websites and have not found anything that interests me in accountancy. I went to the head hunters and told them what I had in mind, hoping that they would be able to find the answer that I couldn't. Only I'm doubting the information that I fed them. Was it really what I wanted?

 I've had so many options. My heart had been directing me into the paths less traveled. My mind had been directing me the other way. I am caught between pleasing society and pleasing myself. Caught between what I should be doing and what I feel like doing. There wouldn't be a balance. It would have to be either one.

It's a decision that has been lingering for quite some time. And sadly to say, there have been no answers yet. Am I experiencing a mid life crisis?

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The 28th

Celebrating in KL no longer seemed to be special. There's nothing more that I can think of other than fine dining, clubbings, dinners, & karaokes. These seemed to be fun back in those days, but after awhile, they don't seemed to bring on any effects. So, I'd decided to take it out of the country. From now on.

It wasn't much of a plan. Grabbed people who would accommodate my spontaneous trip (yes, again). Decided on the place to go. Booked the tickets. Booked the accommodation. Booked the driver. And "wah-lah"...off we went to the island of Bali. The Island of the Gods.


Flew 3 hours from LCCT to Denpasar Airport via Air Asia. It's the only airport on the island. Touched down around noon and had a hard time locating our driver. It was a scene to be remembered. At the arrival hall, beyond the gates, were about a hundred drivers and tour guides, holding place cards, waiting for the arrival of their passengers and guests. I mean a hundred! We got stunned at the gates, with a "wah" on our lips and went, "Which one is ours?" We scrutinized the place cards, looked from left to right, right to left, and finally saw this card with our names at the left hand corner. Mr Made it is.

The itinerary had been roughly planned out earlier. As time was limited, we've only chosen places of interests. The "must visit" places. The places whereby you won't deemed to have visited Bali if you haven't been to them. And according to Mr Made, there are 4 things where Bali is famous for - their temples, their scenic mountain views, their rice terraces and their rich culture.

1) Uluwatu Temple

Our very first stop. The temple on the cliff. Visitors weren't allowed in so this was all we've got. The view was breath-taking. The feeling was indescribable - to have the strong sea wind in your face coupled with the serenity of the view. Imagine standing at the very tip of the cliff with nothing but the sea below...

2) Taman Ayun Temple

Being a first-timer to Bali, I've realized that all their temples were built is the same way. Like the ones you see above. Layer upon layer. The only difference would be the way they structured it. The way they were "arranged".

3) Lake Beratan Temple

I call it the mystifying temple. Located on Lake Beratan and surrounded by a mountain. Watching it from far gives it a sense of mystery. An untold story waiting to be unfold.

4) Kintamani Mountain and Batur Lake

We missed this due to the poor weather. It was raining on the day we planned the visit. The area around the lake and the mountain were covered with mists and fogs and there was nothing much to view. We had no choice but to turn around. What a waste!

5) Jatih Luwih

This was not being planned. We had extra time from forfeiting the Kintamani tour so Mr Made decided to bring us here instead. The journey in took 2 hours and it was worth it. A note to future tourists, tell your drivers to take you all the way in. The view is much better deeper into the rice terrace. You could stop by any where by the road for pictures. It's the best birthday gift I ever had - just by being on the field.

6) Besakhih Temple

The mother of all temples. Built on Mount Agung. And even then, you still got to climb numerous stairs to get to the top. It's like a stairway to heaven. Perhaps it was built with that intention. Amazing architecture. Amazed at how they aligned rocks after rocks to form the temple structure. A guide had been "provided" to us. For a fee of course. And as he explained, there were 4 parts to the temple - the main courtyard, the temple of the sun god, the temple of the fire god and the temple of the wind god. A tour of the entire place takes 2 hours.

And it was the temple of the sun god which got me mesmerized.

2 dragons guarding its entrance. You've got to walk further to the back of Besakhih to reach it. Up another slope. The sun god was deemed the most powerful. There were 3 different flights of stairs to reach the main prayer courtroom. It was majestic. I can almost feel that I'm in heaven.

7) Balinese culture

Balinese practices Hinduism. Yes, I was surprised too. And I would like to say that we were pretty lucky that our vacation coincides with their New Year - the Nyepi, which falls on March 23rd each year. We got to witness their celebration. As explained by our guide, there would be processions by the different villages in the few days leading to the Nyepi, processions to various temples for prayers. On the eve of Nyepi, each village would prepare different forms of ogoh-ogoh, demons of their legend, to be paraded on the streets before being burned in cemetaries. To rid of bad omens. On New Year's day, they are to observe a day of silence. No one is allowed on the streets, no one is to work, no one is allowed to switch on lights, even their only airport is closed for the day. Tourists are to strictly remain in their hotels. It is tradition to which they adhered to.

Prayer processions

 

One of the ogoh-ogohs

 

I am fascinated with Balinese sculptures, especially their doors

We were lucky to have our return flight booked on the eve of Nyepi, or we'll be stuck in our hotels for an entire day.

It was a vacation to be remembered. Free and relaxing. I left with a heavy heart. I wouldn't mind returning for another time. Or a few more times for that matter.

I had a great birthday this year!

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