March 2009 – Revisited

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Sha

I didn’t know what to jot down when I first thought of this topic. And then, everything came crashing and the crashing made me smile.

March has been an unexpectedly fantastic month. I said unexpected because it looked from a sheer glance that it could jolly well be a bad month. I went almost completely broke this month. But that turned out to be a silver lining. I also got injured plenty. But there were more pros than cons to the month.

It has been a month of many firsts:

1) I went ahead with my instincts and got my this lovely domain

2) I visited a dentist for the first time in years due to gum inflammation and bleeding

3) I started to bring food from home. And it actually felt good to be eating home cooked food that has been packed with love by mum

4) FP and I started a fabulous and wonderful (hehe) project called 50 Weeks of Her. I’m really excited about it as not only will create special memories with each coming week, it will make us even more closer because now we have a commitment to fulfill

5) I sprained both ankles. This must be the worst fall I’ve ever experienced, and that is saying a lot.

6) Today FP and I took the train to work together. This may be our new morning routine because it was just really nice haha

7) Also, a project that my colleagues and I have been working so hard on since December, finally came to life today. It feels really great to see a masterpiece become a reality. Looking at every inch of the site, I beam with sheer happiness because it really is a wonderful thing and I do know just how much effort was put in to make it possible. It’s really the best thing I’ve ever worked on, and I won’t be ashamed to say that I am darn proud of it and that I deserve to be proud of it

Love it!

Well if you are curious (and feeling a bit hungry), you might want to drop by Foodeditorials. Maybe you could pick out a recipe or two. You might even want to start cooking if you don’t know how to in the first place!

Part of our wonderful and totally beautiful mainpage:

Our Pastry Category Page:

Our Cooking Category Page:

Hungry for more? Hehehe, do go and explore more at Foodeditorials.

We launched the site today, and needless to say: it completed my already perfect month!

Here’s to April, which is with every deserving reason – a month of celebrations

Gifts for the Invalid

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Sha

So, today turned out to be a day full of gifts!

When I finally returned to my office for work today, I saw several extra things on my desk.

There were:

1) Chocolates
2) Pop Mie (Indonesian Cup Noodles) in 3 different flavours
3) Twilight in Bahasa Indonesia.

Guess which one practically made my morning the most

Number 3, without a doubt. I knew that it will be on my table this morning but actually seeing it was a totally different sensation altogether! Hehehe.

The first thing I read off this book was: Pertama, Edward seorang Vampir.

Vampir! This is going to amuse me to no end to be reading about Edward and Bella in another language. I’m sure they’ve kept Edward’s charm and perfection intact. Thank you Nico

(this is where FP will poke his head in and ask, “Where’s your Twilight Ten-Year Series?” and then go on strike with a I Hate Twilight picket sign)

It just so happens that today is FP and my 71st month together. Yeap, just one more month to our 6 year anniversary. Time really flies

He got me my present yesterday, and it wasn’t meant to be a surprise because I wanted it as a present because I am sick. Sprained ankles = no joke, u know?? So I’ve been badgering him for a gift just because I was.. am momentarily an invalid. But since he gave it to me on our monthvesary, it can be a gift for both occasions.

I am gonna steal his photos from his Flickr account for this. I tried taking photos of it but photos turned out real bad so here it is.

Behold my erm.. Canon 5D Mark II (yes I don’t know what this means lol)

Of course it’s not a real camera! I don’t know how to operate a dslr to save my life! It’s a cheaper and more practical version of the camera. It’s a..

Thumbdrive! Love it! hehehe.

It’s so adorable, don’t you think? I love, love, love it! Now, if only it comes with s strap (like a lanyard). I would wear it round my neck and pretend its a real camera. LOL. It will not only be a chic accessory, it’s handy if I want to store things on the go!

But, turns out there’s no way to hang a strap anywhere. Like who would dump this in a big back full of knicks and knacks like mine and risk getting any piece broken?

It’s a camera! Of course it needs a strap, just like any other self respecting camera.

Why didn’t Canon think of this when developing this product?

Thank you so much FP <3

Weird Dream about Jobs

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Sha

I had a strange dream really early this morning.

It seemed that I was in another office, for another company starting all over from scratch. The thing is I had not exactly gotten the job. I was just either trying the job out or waiting for the big boss to decide whether or not to hire me.

It’s hard to tell in Dreamland, you know? So you make do with what you know and try to piece the jigsaw together. Whether or not it makes sense, is another story altogether.

So anyway, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I had to be at work soon.

Coincidentally in Real Life, I was going back to work today after my long absence thanks to my injured ankles.

Back to my dream. It was for some entry level job that requires little skill and hardly any regard! What in the world was I doing there when I am still happy with my job? And even if I wanted to switch jobs, why this job? – I thought to myself.

So I waited and waited in the office space that was nicely decorated though somewhat void of warmth. I even had a desk if I remember correctly. Throughout this waiting time, in my head I was still planning to go to work and hoped to myself that I won’t be late (or that late) for work.

In the end, I think I decided that I do not want this new job (clever girl!) and left the office. I really can’t recall if it’s because I didn’t feel comfortable, or I feel seriously demeaned in that environment. But I left and hurried to work.

And when I checked the time as I settled into my comfortable, lived in cubicle it was 10.30 am. Late, but still not too shabby – I thought to myself. I had thought I would be much later.

Afterthoughts
This is a pretty weird dream for me to be having. It’s the first time I’ve ever dreamed of work-related stuff, what more of such a context! Perhaps I was subconsciously looking forward to go back to work after being away for most of last week.

But I haven’t even thought of switching jobs. I enjoy my job too much to be wanting a job change at this time. The whole thing is just messed up the dream.

Is it a sign? Am I supposed to be prepared for something? Is this one of the dreams whereby the opposite is true? Or is this purely psychological?

I’ve not really lost touch with dreams interpretations but this is something new for me.

Please advise

50 Weeks of Her – Week 3

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Sha

So for this week, we had to settle for an indoor shoot despite the fact that FP had planned to do some outdoorsy stuff. My ankles are not yet fully healed (sigh sigh) and we didn’t want to risk it.

And most of all, it is important to get into the momentum of weekly shoots if we want to fulfill the commitment of 50 such weeks (47 more now).

It was a pretty fun shoot, with equally fun results. The idea was that I will be a tiny person (think Thumbelina and Tom Thumb) living out of a shoe – yes like that nursery rhyme.

Well to be honest, that’s the concept that I had in my head. I’m sure it sounds different and more professional from his view point

His theme in mind was “Too Big a Shoe to Fill”. See, doesn’t that sound much nicer?

So here they are: two photos from today’s photoshoot:

I prefer this photo, in contrast to the one he chose to officially represent Week 3. But he’s the Photographer, and it’s his project.. so it’s his call. I still love this anyway hehe It took some time for him (with the slightest help from me) to decide which pose to use and to position where.

And below is the shot that he chose to represent Week 3. For this photo, it was all him. Once again, I wish he’d chosen a photo where I am smiling pretty. But according to him, in compliance to his chosen theme, this expression suits better.

Wanna know what the actual shots look like before I was manipulated into a tiny person?

Here you go! Behind the scenes of this week’s shoots:

I absolutely love the shot below. We both do actually. It was the first pose we chose to implement. But turned out, the other shot suited the theme better.

Looking back at these week’s photos, I’m very excited about the next 47 weeks. I totally adore this week’s photos and the unique concept. Can I be a character in a pop-up book next, FP?

Stay tuned for next week’s shoot!

The Curious Case of Belly Button

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Sha

I’ve always been afraid of getting old. The thought of not being at a stage where anything and everything is possible scares me. The very prospect of having to look a younger generation (which may or may not be better looking or more intelligent or more successful) gives me the creeps.

Then, there’s the physical aspect. Skin won’t be as supple. Sight will be poor, even in broad day light. Wrinkles will make their fancy appearance. Walking will be demoted to hobbling. Hearing will be of a more glorious past. Your wonderful memory becomes your enemy than your ally.

(The memory part scares me most, because it would be such a shame to lose my brilliantly fantastic memory)

All these are part of the reason why I was so enthralled with the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, nothing to do with Brad Pitt of course though he did play a part in a way

The thought of aging backwards is very thought provoking.

It also serves as a lesson wherein suffering comes first then happiness. Don’t know what I mean? Well, Benjamin Button came to this world as an 80 year old man with cataracts and wrinkles. He spent his early childhood in a wheelchair before moving on to a walking stick. While he wasn’t exactly ousted by the neighbourhood kids, he wasn’t in a situation whereby he can run across the street and play catch with other children.

In all his wizened physicality, he was still an innocent child deep within. Still, these didn’t stop people who doesn’t understand his condition to mistake him for a dirty old man and a 70-year-old virgin (at least!)

His early life wasn’t exactly a bed of roses, much to be blamed on his physical impairments. However life only got easier (and better looking, hehe).

As he grew older, he also grew stronger, gained speed and sharpness of mind. He spent most of his golden years with much ease, thanks to the finesse of a young man. He fell in love, he had a child. If only life could remain status quo at the moment when he was at his physical prime as a young, strong man.

Alas, he could only get younger, while everything around him gets older. If there’s any flaw in this whole system, this is it. Everyone just keeps getting older, while you get reduced to infancy – quite literally.

However my point in this whole matter is that, even though a lot of sacrifice had to be made and although he finally has a proper childhood (albeit as a very, very old man) – aging wasn’t painful for Benjamin Button. He grew from a dashing teenager, to an angsty pre-teen, to an adorable child, to a stumbling toddler to finally: an innocent baby.

In parallel to a person who is growing old the normal way, Benjamin also became more and more dependent on the care of others. It’s just that for him, it’s effortless and without pain. And while slowly being submerged into a world of innocence, he slipped away from this world with no worries, no pain and no thoughts.

As morbid as this may sound, I think that would be a very good way to die. Not many people have the privilege of dying in that pristine condition.

However, back to our reality – I guess we really have to live our life to the fullest, because life is short and with every passing day a part of us gets older. It’s just that we do not realize it. We will only realize it one day 20 years from now, which may be too late for anything.

And on a personal note, I guess that when the time comes for me to give way to a younger, better looking generation, I will do it with grace because I would know by then that I have lived my youth to the best that I can. And till then, I am still part of the “young people club” – so let’s celebrate our youth and worry about this whole aging thing, 20 years from now.

The Perils of Art

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Sha

As some of you might have known, FP (previously known as Lex in the old blog. Have promoted him to Frog Prince) has taken up an avid interest in photography.

And me, being the leading lady in his life has become the focus of his lenses

Recently, he has decided to start on a project which is entitled 50 Weeks of Her – which basically means 50 weeks of me, quite literally, hoho. I’m only too happy to help him in his endeavour because his ideas are always so fantastic.

So last weekend, we ventured out into the “woods” (location is secret) for a photoshoot.

It was an open grassland. We were careful to walk slowly in case of potholes and snakes. I was honestly more worried for snakes than potholes – because snakes make me hyperventilate and potholes don’t.

We kept walking on thinking it’s gonna be grassy on flat land all the way (coz thats the way it seems from afar) until we came to a grassy ditch. Which we had to cross over in order to get to the artistic looking tree in the background of the photo above.

He ran and jumped over, quite easily (of course) and then asked me to pass over the heavy equipment that we have brought along for the shoot. I could barely pass him the heavy bag across the ditch, what more myself. LOL.

So, what’s left next was me.

First of all, I do have a problem with jumping. In a photo taken in San Francisco, my friends and I were supposed to jump in the air while the photo was captured. Turned out, I was the only one in the photo barely off the ground. Embarrassing, really – which is why it will not be published here.

So, all I had to do was jump over the ditch, where FP was ready to receive me. But I was scared. Don’t know if I was embarrassed to run-and-jump in front of FP or because I was half afraid to fall in the ditch (or I was pretty certain that I would fall in) so I did a few “false starts”.

Which cracked him up.

When I finally gathered the courage (this is without thinking), I run-and-jumped over and he caught me and we both fell over. According to his account of the incident, he said I did the “funniest little prance” instead of running but nevermind.

When I landed, I felt that familiar pain that I’ve often felt when I have injured my leg after falling many times before. Almost thought I couldn’t walk, but I could. The pain was momentary and soon after we were busy trying to get the best of the last minutes of daylight.

However, the next day at work, the pain began. The pain got worse and worse until on the drive back home, I felt so much pain while maneuvering the manual car pedals. By night time, I was suffering in tears.

The next day, I still went to work as normal. I took a cab to and from work and even wore slippers and ankle guard to work. But the pain continued to escalate until my knees and thighs.

It wasn’t until yesterday that FP had had enough of me being in pain, he practically kidnapped me from the office and took me to the A&E at a hospital nearby.

Took an x-ray and turns out that my ligaments were sprained and ended up with both ankles bandaged lol. And oh, did I mention 3 days MC (inclusive of yesterday)?

Sigh sigh.

Anyway, here’s the image FP has chosen to represent Week 2 of 50 Weeks of Her:

I don’t really like how I look in the photo, but he said it looks like I am trying to find for something. When I look at it again, it looks like I’m trying to tell something. So maybe he has a point in choosing this photo.

I am looking forward to Week 3, despite being seriously injured in the name of art. So, stay tuned for more updates with gorgeous photos from our fun-filled adventures

New Home, New Beginnings

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Sha

Obligatory opening post.

I finally got down to it and got myself my own domain! Perhaps I just needed to start from a clean slate, after being on a very long blogging hiatus.

Thanks Livie, for hosting me for the past 6 years. It’s been a lovely stay but I guess it is time to move on. Thank you mucho

Thanks also to Lex for always reminding me that I want to get my own domain. Thanks for teaching me how to upload new themes to wordpress, b

Yes, I’m sort of a technoidiot still despite the fact that I am working for a website. Go figure, the irony of it all.

Thanks to Elly, my keen interest in writing/blogging has been revived. Thanks Elly for always encouraging me to pursue what I’ve always loved doing

I had left the setting up of this site entirely in good hands. The best of programmers. The best of designers. Thanks Nico for helping me with all the complicated stuff that I do not and will never understand. Hehe. Thanks Henry for coming up with that lovely whimsical rainbow design (which I so love!).

Even though we can’t implement that particular theme yet because Nico hasn’t mastered the art of WordPress (of all the things not to be a master of Nico!), all efforts are very much appreciated.

Well, I finally feel truly at home now. This would mean more musings, more photos and more thoughts & comments (and possibly more drama).

It’s been a long while since I’ve felt excited about blogging. In a way, this means that somehow, I’ve completely found myself again – after 3 months of searching for that quirky girl with funny views.

I’m back, and this time I’m back for good. All this while, while waiting for my site to be done up, I’ve had at least a million posts in my head. Time to have verbal diahorrea. Hohoho!

.: asylum for the sane :.

where rainbows end.

Monthly Archives: March 2009