it's not goodbye, 2008

(pic)

Everyone, have a nice time tonight welcoming the new year, wherever you may be.

I am usually a little mellow and tend to look for quieter celebrations. My new years are more solemn than most [edit] occasions.

I've had a great 2008 and i hope you did too. If not, there is always tomorrow, a new year to start over, a second or third or fourth chance. There is so much in 2008 that i want to see in the next and this is a delightful surprise because i don't normally want to bring the remnants of past, or the last year rather, forth. So it's not goodbye.

There are also much i want to do differently this new year and plenty more to look forward to.

This blog has brought value to the micro things in my life and will be something i want to work on through 2009. Thank you for the friendship that blossomed here, whether old or new. From unforgotten friends like Lene and Radya, to those who were once strangers like Shameen and Huda. Thank you. This blog has become my happy place.

Have the best new year, everyone.

dictator not terrorist.

Just the other day, i was invited to my (ex) company's dinner & dance where the theme was Arabian Night. Arabian night!

So the night before the party, i was brainstorming some ideas for costume and how could i have forgotten? My dad's souvenirs from his pilgrimage about 13 years ago when i was 7 was the answer. I found everything and thought, i'm going to be a dictator or if that doesn't work, maybe the average arabian joe who sells kebab. So i looked like this..

Hahaha! My dad's old rayban gave the look an edge. So i wasn't the kebab dude afterall.

Needless to say, i was sensational there. Also, the luckiest young sir who captivated the giggling ladies waiting to take pictures with me. Hello~

Though the muslim in me got hurt a little when i was mistaken as a terrorist. So i was defensively repeating "no! I'm a dictator!" firmly that few hours. Didn't do any good. :(

Apart from that, I had the time of my life and won 3rd for best dressed. Meaning, a hundred dollars voucher and some awesome goodies. Not bad for a last minute costume hey?

Which brings me to introduce you to my new shoes that i bought instantly with the voucher. Please meet my Aldo Koudougou after 30% during the christmas sale which makes it all the more affordable.

(taken from here)

If you'd like to see more pictures of the party, go give my photo-blog a visit.

Going to the beach to cycle and have a picnic. See you tomorrow, last day of the year.

FINALLY!

My photo-blog is up! I'm at maria-captures. It's more like an extension of this blog so posts are more organized. Really basic and i haven't developed much on it but it'll do. For now.

I have more pictures to follow up from my last post: Christmas at Yuki's. This uploading business takes time so please bear with me! It'll come along slow and steady.

Hope it works for you guys! xx

Christmas at Yuki's

Hello! I hope i haven't been gone for too long and that you enjoyed the holidays.

Just a little bit about last week. The dinner at Yuki's was simple and wonderful. Her apartment was rad, our sushi wasn't too bad, plenty of pizza and chicken wings, chatters till the wee hours of morning and 4 happy girls having a good time on the windy, spacious balcony so high we saw the prettiest view of the city by night.

I loved everything about it.

At my place, the next day, dinner was roast lamb, cauliflower cheese, baked potatoes and mushroom cream. My folks invited Yas over and it went better than i had expected. A friend of mine gave me my favourite flavoured ice cream from Ben & Jerry's for x'mas and so we had that for dessert. That saved the day. My dad spontaneously organized a movie marathon, which went ahead with just the men in my life (my dad, brother and boyfriend). The girls of the house had to unfortunately get some sleep after all that cooking. Right.

My holiday well spent with the people i love and matter so much to me. I know it's rare for me to say this but i'm really happy now after a very, very, very long time.

Wishing you happiness this new year, my sweet readers. Because it tastes so sweet and i never took it seriously until recently. Everyone wishes happiness for each other but until someone stops to explore how deep and special it is, it's just going to be an overrated word i suppose.

the season to be jolly?

(from here)

More like the season to be sick. I'm down with the flu just as many of my friends and family. It's x'mas eve. And i am sick. And brooding. And feeling gloomy. :(

Tonight's xmas dinner is pizza and japanese at Yuki's. We're going to learn how to roll sushi and take on a few japanese recipes. Maybe even mess her apartment up or misuse the pool. I hope to get better by then or couple of hours prior. I gave my liver a good rest just for tonight! Tell my body, i deserve to get better..

Every year, the family ritual is dinner at home on x'mas. This year, my folks suggested that i be in charge of the kitchen. Ehem! Technically, we don't celebrate xmas but we just join in the fun and use the term 'holiday' instead. Which happens to also be a great excuse for family feasts. We're done shopping for groceries and i'm left to think about dessert.

So i'm busy, a little sick and feeling very festive. I'll see you when i see you.

p.s As of right now, i am at work AND i have frozen unagi in my bag. I know. I try not to think about it.

Merry x'mas and happy holidays!

dear miss winehouse,

I love you and will wait for as long as it takes for another sick album.

Fuck the paps and live your life however you like it.

my happy television moment

I despise television for reasons i'll share another time. Very much so that its more catchy to say, loathe passionately. I assume you already know that. Not in entirety, of course. I'm a mad cow about Discovery's Travel & Living and watch incessantly when i am home alone.

It's been well over a month since i watched any TV. I rose especially early today just so to get even with two unproductive days of sleeping till the late hours of noon, feeling slothful and bovine. Just to digress a little more, its beginning to look more positive now that i've learnt to be guilty about being a bum AND to paint the picture alive, i've been running and eating healthier. I give me 1 gold star.

So back to where i was, i had a happy TV moment this morning because i..

• happened to be in time for Martha.
• discovered the existence of Australian celebrity chef, Bill Granger (please don't mock me) and fell in love with his show and cooking. Bless you, bill.
• am now inspired by Bill and have two recipes that i'm eager to try.
• found out that Dr Seuss' Cat in the Hat is showing at 6.30 this evening. Yay!
• put on a festive grin because Christmas and the new year took over the channels.

I should give TV a second chance.

p.s i just realised the growing list of readers. Thank you so much! You guys are amazing and have no idea how you make an amateur blogger feel. It's very encouraging, my pioneer readers.. Someday, we can have an all bloggers dinner at my place. That'll be so neat. xx

Hey Yas..

Please?

(by le love)

all things breakfast

Remember the blog i featured called Simply Breakfast? Well, it's sad but Jen (the blogger and photographer) is putting an end to it by this year. So we'll have to bid it goodbye and enjoy what's left of it before the arrival of '09. However, she's not leaving just like that. Jen's releasing her second book. You can have a preview of it here and read her farewell post here. I'm going to make sure that i have a copy for myself.

Just the other day, i had an 'amibitiously planned' day (I'm sorry we're doing a few 'recalls' this time round). That morning, i missed out on breakfast and the run altogether because what wasn't surprising happened and happens all the time, i woke up a quarter to noon and rushed out to grab lunch with Yuki and Sue.

En route, I was still feeling like breakfast and hoping they'd pick a spot where there's at least a sandwich. Just to give in to that crave. So we were headed for Cedele. I've never been there so while my eyes were darting all over the menu, i learnt that..

They've an ALL DAY BREAKFAST MENU. Hallelujah.

So if you're looking to have breakfast at dinner (please tell me i'm not the only one), this is my suggestion for you.

p.s Here's hoping you enjoyed the cold afternoon, i spent most of it snuggling in bed, napping and keeping warm.

W O W

I swear i'll do anything for this whole look. Or at least, just THAT SKIRT.

You have no idea how much of an idiot i was overreacting to this. By myself. In my room.

(by The Sartorialist)

now that i'm back..

I didn't but should've meant it when i said i'll be back when i wake. What i did instead was get out of bed at noon, cooked brunch and left for town.

Ahh town.. A burst of contrast from my three days of no internet, swanky malls and Class 95's love songs at bedtime.

My trip to Melaka was food for my soul. Very much like an educational excursion to my life, culture and family history. I will have an entire post about it because it was so meaningful and i'm beaming glad i went on it. It made all the difference to my thoughts about being me, the new year and life ahead.

Just a brief update.

Now that i'm back, the rest of the week seems impossible. I'm jammed with chores and sorts. And the chaos of every year end, Christmas shopping.

After contemplating for far too long, this fickle mind has decided. My photo blog is in construction and i will leave flickr alone until a later time. I hope the split makes more sense because i tend to share a hell lot of photos.

Okay, going to bed. Plan for later is to rise early for breakfast and a run, a lunch date with Yuki and then the tearing down of Orchard Road in search of Christmas gifts. If you're anything like me, that's considered ambitious already. Have a good night everyone.

home sweet home

Through the mud, lalangs, and some serious suburban adventures.. i am back home!

And so in need of sleep. Turning in, so i'll see you when i wake, my sweets.

back on Tuesday!

Leaving in a couple of hours..

I'll see you soon and be well!

another rush-for-time post

I'm running through some hundred or more pictures from the flea which i'll post soon. There's some chance they'll end up on my 'photo blog' that's under construction (i'm contemplating on a flickr account at the same time). Times like this, i wish i needn't have to be at work because i want so badly to share it!

Sorry for the snappy entries, i could've been a better blogger if only work didn't feel so much like a race course. But anyway, everything ends by Friday and we'll be running business as usual when i come back from that little vacation over the weekend. So if posts are slow this week, bear with me till Tuesday.

p.s I forgot to mention yesterday that it was World Aids Day and it sucked that i left it to go by without getting involved. Oh well..

Later!

at work!

Happy 1st December! Seems like we dashed through the year didn't we?

And good monday, how'd the weekend go? I have much to share but that'll have to wait till later tonight or tomorrow even. Blogging from 'work' and gasping for time. Hope to see you later!