Dough, Moolah and Ching Ching

Me, backwards, 5 years ago. Heh.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Vysia Yong 
Date: Fri, Apr 15, 2005 at 12:29 AM
Subject: Dough, Moolah and Ching-Ching.
To: sun_childe@yahoo.com


I have been overspending since I laid foot in KL. My credit card
should have melted by now. But it really ain't my fault. Everywhere I
go I see the words ' Sale', 50% off etc. Its like crack to a druggie.

It doesn't help that KL is so consumer oriented. KL folk go to malls
to do non-shopping activities such as eat, watch movies, bowl ( not
that I ever do) etc. Even groceries are bought in malls.
So I frequent malls well... frequently. Even when I have no intention to shop.

But come on, how can I walk around in a shopping mall without feeling
the inexplicable urge to buy something. Its so hard and I'm sure many
of you can attest to that. Whether or not you give in to temptation of
course is a completely different thing entirely.
I, shopoholic extraordinaire, of course plead guilty on all charges of
compulsive overspending.

It does scare me you know. I worry constantly that when I grow up and
get a job ( only a couple of short years away!!!), I will suffer
withdrawal symptoms. Everyone knows a fresh grad gets pittance pay
initially. With income tax its a little over a thousand. How the hell
am I gonna be able to shop anymore?

I'll have to pay taxes, insurance (life and car), car maintenance,
gas, food, toiletries and save! That in no way leaves room for
shopoholic spending habits. I am so so screwed.

Maybe I can not eat and shop instead. That way I'll be thin and
well-dressed! But then I may faint on a daily basis from lack of
nutrition. How gorgeous will I be huh? Splayed all over a sidewalk
with blood running down my face in an oh-so-fabulous Chanel tweed suit
with Stuart Weitzman heels. Not to mention the Gucci bag that will be
carted off by some random passerby who would probably loot rather than
help me.

The scary thing is I am not alone in my cushy predicament. With
parents having less kids these days and higher incomes than their
forefathers ( Did you know during your parents time you could get a
bun for 5 sen?), kids these days are just spoilt rotten. Okay okay. So
maybe not all of us are that spoilt but like everything else, it comes
in different degrees. Especially in urban jungles like KL where its
all about keeping up with the joneses.

How many of us who have not yet started working are constantly
spending our parents hard-earned moolah? It doesn't matter how much
your parents earn, you still spend as much as they give you. Now don't
go thinking I'm some brat who lives in her own pink world of the
overprivileged. My friends come from all echelons of society. Whats
scary is... irrespective of that, they all spend loads.

Everyone wants the latest Nokia. Guys waste money on Shisha, Dota, and
of course, alcohol. Boys are willing to blow a day's hard earned pay
on a few rounds of happy juice in some posh club. Girls are just as
bad. They buy loads of clothes, bags and accesories they most
certainly don't need etc. Lets not forget how expensive clubbing is. A
good night out would certainly cost you RM 100 at least. Considering
how many youngsters club on a weekly basis or even more so, imagine
how much that adds up to?

I am not being hypocritical because I hate that and I readily admit t
being no better than anyone else. But at least I'm conscious of it and
pretty darn worried. What about you? Have you totalled up your
expenses and drawn up a blueprint of survival in an urban jungle on a
fresh grads pay?

I didn't think so.

I've just found this email, written over 5 years ago to a very close friend...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Vysia Yong 
Date: Thu, Mar 31, 2005 at 12:34 AM
Subject: God, you were right...


Being in the city does things to you. Monstrous things. It eats into
your soul and leaves an emptiness inside. The thing is its so subtly
done that you don't notice it. And even if you do, you push it aside..
thinking that you're just trying to accomodate yourself to your
surroundings.

Get out of the city, if you will. Don't let it erode whats essentially
you. I think its done that to me, as much as I try to fight against
it. And sometimes fighting against what you think is wrong, or even
for what you stand for, is tiring, and you just wanna give up and let
yourself be swept away.

I didn't realise how much being in KL has changed me until i came
across this thing I've written in my e-journal in 2002. Thats 3 years
ago. I wish I could be like that again. I wish I could be as
idealistic. But that would mean that I'd be just as naive. You can't
have one without the other. I saw a group of kids just now, there's
just something about watching children laugh which is so
unpretentiously pure. I don't want to lose that bit of me, that
innocence. But then I realised that I've lost that a long time ago. Or
maybe I haven't. Maybe its hiding somewhere inside of me, too afraid
to come out, because I should be acting all grown up now.

Here it is, the entry:

==================
Subject: Winter of my life

I sit in front of the computer in this icebox of a
library as I type. Thoughts come and go, never
stopping long enough to make an impression. I look
around. Empty, save for a tudung-ed girl opposite me
with that intense look in her eyes.

It's been six months since I left home. Left that
warm, cosy little nest and a hoarde of wonderful
friends. And for what? A claustophobia inducing
cubicle of a room and people whom I just can't seem to
relate to?

It hardly seems worth it.

But then I remind myself to give them a chance... to
give myself a chance. I cannot expect everything to be
the same, cannot stop things from changing. Life is
about change. Things change, people change, nothing
remains constant. Perhaps the only constant thing in
life is change.

Once upon a time, I looked forward to change. Once
upon a time, I welcomed it. Change was something
exiting, something new, something to explore, a jack
in a box of surprises.

But not anymore.

There is a climax to everything, a zenith from where
everything after that goes downhill. Have I reached
that peak?

I think not.
But why does everything seem to go downhill from here?

Have I completely forgotten how to appreciate things?
Have I lost that sense of adventure that was so ME,
that was my identity? Has city life, and it's attitude
of indifference eroded whatever sensitivity I had?

I'm just another person in the faceless and nameless
crowd. Just another clone. Just another person trying
to feel in a place where all your senses are numb and
frozen.

Life seems white and barren. A vast, empty, white
field that stretches beyond the horizon.

Welcome...

Welcome to the winter of my life.

===========================

Please don't mind me, I just need to pour it all out...

I'll stop. Promise.

Boots No7 Christmas Party Looks

Boots has seriously upped their game when it comes to makeup, and their new Christmas collecttion a brilliant testimonial to that - their new collection features items that will create a look that will suit anyone.

Check out this new video from Boots No7 on how to create the perfect  party look:

One of their many offering that really caught my eye is the Mirror Ball Highlight Compact, which is a gorgeous, no too shimmpery highlighter powder. I've tested this out at Boots, and it's really subtle. More irisdescent than glittery, it's really sophisticated and perfect for accentuating the cheekbones.

I also really like they Stay Perfect Eyeliners - these liquid liners glide on effortlessly (I've used these to line my eyes on a bumpy bus). They're perfect for day to night use as well, just touch up and add on a thicker line and you're ready to paaartay! They're available on 7 colours had I have them in Gunmetal (my fav!), Purple and Blue. Smudge free, too!

Boots are also having a fantastic promotion where you can get a No7 Black Christmas Evening Bag plus lots of other goodies worth £37 when you spend £22 online or in store at Boots.

 

Christmas just came early!

The run up to Christmas

1 1/2 months to Christmas and I've already got my outfit planned.

I tend to plan from bottom upwards and I've already got the shoes - they're gorgeous chain embellished sandals with tractor soles from Camilla Skovgaard and oh how I love them! I love them so much I'm wearing them right now as I type.

Got them in a sample sale near my office for £50. What a bargain! They looked awesome with the navy Falke tights I had on, though I might try them with a pair of deep red ones for a pop of colour and to bring them out a little.

I haven't totally decided how to wear them yet. They look so cool and edgy on their own, so I could just run with the theme and wear with skinny jeans and a biker jacket. Or I might not, and pair them up with short babydoll dresses for some contrast. We'll see.

Just seen this ad from Very.co.uk as well, and I'm thinking something along the lines of the black tiered dress that the first woman is wearing. What do you think?

Here's a hunch

Don't work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone.

Written by Adrian Tan, author of The Teenage Textbook (1988), who was the guest-of-honour at a recent NTU convocation ceremony. This was his speech to the graduating class of 2008.
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http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=435703785332&id=838833331

On being social

In a conversation with a friend recently, I was asked to give some advice on how to be more outgoing - apparently people get the impression that I'm a social butterfly who flit calmly and graciously from one social situation to another.

Oh if they only knew!

I'm awkward and I'm shy and I honestly prefer hiding behind a monitor. I don't think I have anything interesting in particular to say, and I'm sure as hell not witty or entertaining.

But I try.

And if lil ole me can come across that way, anyone can.

... and September ends

Just like that, time flies. Seconds to minutes to hours to days to weeks to months.

Seasons change and before you know it, it's autumn. Leaves shedding at your feet. Frosty mornings and kids on the busses again.

Time to pack the summer away.

Take note of this if you are to love a woman

"You may not be her first, her last, or her only. she loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect - you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, and admit to being human &making mistakes, hold onto her &give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, & miss her when she's not there." - Bob Marley

Crossroads

Got this off a fabulous site that i've just come across today, www.notcot.com

crossroads (what to do) from Garvin Nolte on Vimeo.

Crossroads by Garvin Nolte “The video installation “crossroads (what to do)” deals with the influence of others onto one’s own path of life in an abstract way.” Ever feel like everyone is pulling you in so many different directions? or telling you where to go and what to do? Is your technology dictating your life… literally?

Well, this totally sums up what I'm feeling right now.

Time for a change...

What do you think?

I seem to be lacking in inspiration these days, perhaps it was the lacklasture template, maybe I got bored of looking at the same page for 5 years.... 5 YEARS!

I can't believe time has gone by so quickly. I've re-read some of my first entries and come to realise how much I've grown up and changed since. And how I wish I could tell my younger self the things I know now...

So here goes, things I wish I knew then that I want to remind myself now:

Never, ever settle. Go for it, whatever 'it' is that you want. Seize the day, and every opportunity that comes with it. Loosen up. Stop trying too hard to impress. Trust your instincts. Cut the ties that hold you back and never think of what ifs. Distance yourself from negative people and surround yourself with people who inspire.

Life's just too short.

50 years of Doc Martens

Doc Marten boots are so iconic that no one has ever made a fashion faux pas by wearing them, and their symbolic value to different music and fashion subcultures since the early days of punk and rock 'n' roll has given them cult status.

Originally designed as purpose boots for the working classes, it's come a long way since it's humble beginnings and has become a classic fashion must-have and cultural icon.

Check out the video below for a short documentary on how Doc Martens have come so far in the past 50 years.



To celebrate their 50th anniversary, they've invited 10 contemporary bands and musicians to cover "10 cult classics" with accompanying videos produced by 10 up and coming directors. This energetic cover of Neneh Cherry's Buffalo Stance from Buraka Som Sistema is one of my favorites in the compilation so far, mostly because it reminds me of my raving days (oh the outfits I wore that wouldn't be caught in today!). And isn't the kids chorus just too cute?. Also included on the compilation are also The Noisettes, Dam Funk, Duke Spirit and Verbal.


Check out the other videos here:

http://50.drmartens.com/videos

Stellar, Ooh la la!

Totally loving how Stella Artois is taking steps to improve their environmental performance by introducing new lightweight bottles that contain less glass (which means less CO2 emissions). With over 250 million of these bottles produced each year, these small steps do make a real difference.

They're spreading the word about this through a really brilliant, quirky campaign in the form of retro 60's French TV programme featurettes, hosted inside Stella's new 'less glass, less Co2, more class' bottle, with hosts no other than Jeannie (from I Dream of Jeannie) and Alain du Monde!

*click to view*



Next in the installment is a weird and wonderful music video of Marina and the Diamond's 'I'm not a robot'. Vintage-futuristic? Can't decide...but still pretty cool!

Have a look for yourself!

Rolling Stones

"Why are you so restless? Why do you have to do so many things at the same time, go so many places? What are you looking for? When are you going to settle?" He always asks.

"A rolling stone gathers no moss, you know?"

Yes Pa, but it gathers momentum.

My £25 Victory Garden Quest

I've recently been following news about climate change and have been increasingly concerned about my actions and it's impact on the environment. Tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, drought... so many natural disasters that have been occurring recently, all part of the chain reaction brought upon by climate change.

Just watched this video and I have to admit, this is scary stuff. Scary enough to make me decide to do something about it, or at least, reduce my consumption and waste.

Now I've always said that I wanted to be difference that difference that makes a difference, and while I realise that one person can't really do much, it is all it takes to start the ball rolling.

And this one person I've come across is a guy who calls himself Joe Gardener, and while he's not so much focused on the stance against climate change as to that of saving money, I thought that his project/challenge of growing an organic garden for less than $25 was very fitting to the theme. Click on the link to read more about this quest.

So I've jumped on the bandwagon and decided that I will try this challenge in my little London backyard and do my part. Here are the rules, taken from his website: Let the challenge begin!

*****

Rule #1: You can buy and use whatever you want with your twenty-five dollars. But, once it’s gone, it’s gone! That includes items listed below in the “can’t use” list.

What can be used from existing inventory (Anything that would reasonably be expected to already be on hand if you lived in a house with a yard, including equipment to maintain it)

• Tools (hose, shovel, rake, etc)
• pots & containers
• Fertilizer used to maintain landscape
• shop light, tables or shelves, etc.

What can’t be used from existing inventory (but you can buy with your $25):

• Compost (I hate this one the most)
• Seeds (personally owned from previous seasons)
• Seed starting trays and kits including heat mats
• Specialized tools specific to seed starting or veggie gardening, not commonly owned

What is fair game: Everything. This is the best part. Anything and everything you need can come from outside sources as long as you don’t spend past your limit. Just get creative and barter, go online, beg or borrow, just don’t steal!

*****

Let the challenge begin!

How could I forget?

I also have courgettes and tomatoes! Planted ages ago and have finally sprouted! Woohoohoo!

courgette 'zucchino genovese' from Franchi Sementi

first tomato seedling!

This is the pomodoro/tomato costuloto genovese - it's supposed to be as big as the palm of your hands. Can't imagine something so tiny producing something so big, but we'll see.

Earth hour

And to commemorate I've sown some seeds:

Saturday, 27th March 2010

The 5 biodegradable pots at the top are of Sunflowers (Sungold from Mr Fothergill's) and the bottom two have 2 seeds each of Marigold ('Moon' from Thompson and Morgan)

1 tray of alpine strawberry (whole pack, approx 80 seeds from Mr Fothergills)

The first 6 modules are chilli seeds that I got free from Wahaca (restaurant). The top 2 modules in the second column up till the 4th contain Tsoi Sim seeds and the final 8 modules are planted with Kailaan (both from realseeds.co.uk)

6 seeds of Latah early tomatoes (from realseeds.co.uk) are in the clingfilmed and wrapped in leftover fruit protecters to keep the clingfilm in place, the other two pots contain 3 tubers of tiny ginger rhisomes leftover from the ones I used to cook (from Hampton Farmer's Market)

Seeds planted 2 weeks ago or so

2x little plastic pots of basil sweet genovese (seeds from Wilkinsons)

the 3 pots in the middle are sweet pea 'superstar' from Thompson and Morgan

1x shallow plastic tray spring onions (white lisbon from Wilkinsons)

First 2 columns are no show 'Superstar' sweet peas from Thompson and Morgan, the next 8 modules are of purple sprouting broccoli (from Wilkinsons) and the final 2 columns are Acidanthera Peacock Orchid bulbs from Poundland

1 tray (24 modules) pak choi (choko f1 from Johnsons cooks oriental garden range) pictured here with some spring onions from Waitrose that I've used the tops of and kept in water to resprout (it worked), a terracotta pot of 5 bittergourd seeds from a bittergourd melon I got from Chinatown (clingfilmed and wrapped in polystyrene webbing to keep the clingfilm in place as well as keep the pot warm) and my curry leaf plant from Malaysia.

baby pak choi seedlings

Gone gardening

I thought about starting a new blog just for my newly acquired hobby, but then thought, well, what if I get bored of it? There'll be another neglected blog out there, and that, we don't need.

So yes, I've started gardening as a new hobby. And no, I never expected that I would love it so much. Part of the reason I started was because we've just bought a house and by the time the builders had left, the garden was in a sad state of mess.

A little weeding here, a bit of planting there. A pot of basil from Waitrose and some seeds from Thompson and Morgan later... bam, I was bitten by the gardening bug!

the garden last year