Working Class Citizen

Yup! Friend has gone back to full-time work. 😁

It's been a little over 2 months since I've returned to working full time – albeit in a mostly WFH setting – but I'm really quite enjoying this new-old phase of my life. 

Overall, it's been good! Working and having a life outside of mommy-hood is very psychologically and emotionally rewarding for me. I feel purposeful and empowered. I feel "useful" – for lack of a better word. Like I'm finally utilising my brain, talents and skills in a meaningful and contributive way. 

I know, I know. Raising humans is purposeful work that requires brain, talent and skill, as well. (Not to mention immense love, dedication and patience! 😆) Especially so if you want to raise good, godly human beings who will contribute positively to society in time to come. 

BUT BUT BUT... it's just not the same. FTWM projects are sprinkled with deadlines that come and go swiftly. Raising kids, on the other hand, is a lifelong process with no checklist in sight. #ilovemychecklist (Yes, even when they're 55 and retired, I'm sure there will still be some measure of mothering to be done. 🤭) 

The SAHM life is really not for me lah.

Even though I kept myself busy semi-freelancing, selling YLEO, undergoing chemo to save my life and running GiftAGift.my all through my years of SAHM-ness, I mostly still felt... lost. Purposeless. Stifled and suffocated. Like I'm always in a rut, living each day on my hamster wheel – running endlessly while getting nowhere. Just doing unseen things for others and not being recognised and rewarded for my efforts.

So, going back to work has

been welcomed change for me!

Of course, I initially worried about not being able to keep up after being away from the industry for so long. But now, after being back for awhile, I feel like I've found my stride and I'm doing alright la. HAHA. #shameless I wake up each morning with purpose, ready to face the day and start ticking off the to-dos on my list. #todolistsrock


Naturally, juggling work and family is no easy feat that's exceedingly demanding at times. There are days when I feel frazzled and stretched thin from meeting deadlines whilst still ensuring that dinner is on the table by 7pm. But I've come to realise that it's worth it. Because at the end of a busy day, I always feel tired... but accomplished. 💪

It's not about the paycheque (bluffing you la, of course earn money syok also la 🤭), it's not about seeking external validation (but also happy when proposals fly and jobs cepat-cepat get approved, too 🤣) but rather, it's about feeling valued and appreciated for what I bring to the table. #truth

And at the end of the day, I strongly believe that being a happy and fulfilled individual makes me a better person... and a better mom. Don't get me wrong. I have no regrets putting my career on hold to raise my children this past decade. But now that they're a little more grown up, and especially after having survived cancer (twice!) I think it's time I start investing a bit more in Me once again.

To the next chapter! 🥂

Can't. Hold. Back. Must. Show. Off!

Ok, remember how I said that the gay dude at Aesop gave me lots and lots of free samples the last time I was there? Well, I'm sad to say that I just discovered a little over a month ago that he's no longer there. Sad for me but good for him lah. Cos he's been upgraded to a fancier outlet at a bigger, better mall (which I will not reveal in case he gets into trouble and kena demoted pula =p).


When I got to the outlet, first thought in my head was: "NooOOOoOoOoOoOOooo! There goes my Aesop freebie super supplier!" BUT... thankfully, the new kid on the block who's taken his place is a pretty nice girl, too. =p So she did her part *ahem* and also helped me build my stash during my last visit. (I also bought a face scrub laaaa... Not so cheapskate and just take samples laaa...)

Now, let me show you my pride and joy.

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Are you ready?

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Please make sure you're seated so you don't faint

and crack your skull on your marble flooring.

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TADAAAA!!!

My Aesop free sample stash. =D =D =D

*cartwheels all around*

And that's not all of it. I've got
five other travel-sized free BOTTLES
I haven't taken pictures of, too. =p #shameless

I tell you, on super bad or super stressful days, I'll just open up my secret Aesop stash case, stare at my samples and smile to myself alone in the room like a dungu. Even The Husband knows my relaxation ritual. The last time he walked into the room and saw me with my freebie case open on my lap, he asked, "Making yourself feel happy, issit?" Hahaha. YES! Making myself very happy indeed!

Of course, my stash no longer looks that way anymore lah. I used a few of the samples during my recent holiday to Bangkok and also used some on days when I feel like pampering myself a little more than usual. Having said that, my stash is very quickly depleting. @_@ And now, I feel an urgent need to to replenish my stocks before they run out! Wth!


I tell you, God knows best la. He knows I have to be a customer/consumer instead of a salesgirl. That's why He gave me a good job that pays enough for me to buy stuff instead of sell it. I can imagine ah... if I was an Aesop salesgirl, I'd be the worst one ever. Hahaha. I would probably be so kiam siap with samples that every customer who visits the outlet would hate me maximum. And then, I would take all the samples I didn't give home... and use them myself! HAHAHA.

*blink blink*

Shit. TMI? Please still love me? Kthxbai.

My Life Expectancy

Did a virtual health test on Living To 100 and

my Life Expectancy Calculator results tell me that...

Aiyah... one year shy of 90! -_-'''

But then again, not bad lah, right? For a person who doesn't exercise and has lots of work stress. Hahaha. All I need is more time off to travel (get to relax abroad without work + get exercise from all that walking around = SCORE!) and I'll hit that 90 mark. No sweat. Haha.

AND THEN... I got to thinking.

(Yep, I started thinking. Uh oh. @_@)

If I guarantee want to live to see my great-grandkids and have them call me...uh... call me... urm... what do great-grandchildren call their great-grandma ah? ANYWAY, if I want my great-grandchild to be able to call me before I die, my grandchildren will have to start popping out my great-grandkids by the time I'm 87. PALING LATEST. Or else the tiny fella born already still cannot talk yet. -_-'''


That effectively means that my children will need to give birth to my grandkids by the time I'm 60. LATEST. Or else my grandkids will be too young to get married and have my great-grandkids by the time I'm 87. (I've calculated for my grandkids to be 27-year-old parents by the time I'm 87. Fair right? That means, my kids should also be 27 max at the time of the birth of their first child.)

Hmmm. Let's do the math.

89 years (my life expectancy)
- 2 years (buffer time for my great-grandkid to learn to call me)
- 27 years (age of grandchild during birth of great-grandchild)
- 27 years (age of child during birth of grandchild)
---------------------
= 33 years of age
---------------------

That means the oldest I can be when I give birth to my child in order to be greeted by my great-grandchild is the age of 33. Wah, I got 5-6 years to lenggang still! Hahahaha.


But wait. Takkan I only want to see ONE great-grandchild meh? At least 3 right? So let's say I give it 2 years between kids. That means... 33 - 2 - 2 - 2 = 27. @_@ OMG, 27??? Are you kidding me?? Shit! That means I have to give birth before... THIS NOVEMBER?!? -_-''' Gone liao la, the plan. Gone liao. T_T

But nevermind. All things are possible. 

I'll just pray that my grandkids get triplets. =p

p/s: You can take the test here to find out how old you're expected to live up to and also find out if you get to see your great-grandkids. =p

Copywriters, The Infographic

Via The George Report

My First Birthday Present This Year!

A strip of tarpaulin to keep my glue-sniffing nose happy.

Ahh, these colleagues of mine, they know me so well. =)

ING-ing

NOTE: This post was inspired by a post entitled 'ING' by Shaba.


HATING: My weekly visits to the hospital, needles, blood tests, scans... and LDR. I hate the fact that my so-called husband is never around. I hate that I'm married and still going to bed alone. Worse, I'm now sleeping alone in a big-ass bed that has room enough for five of me but there's no one else but me in it! I hate that all I get are 3-minute calls a day. And that's on good days. Most days, I just get ONE call that barely lasts two minutes. I hate that I'm pretty much still single although I'm supposed to be married. And I hate how LDR after marriage is so much more unhealthy than LDR while dating.


LIKING: Rain in the morning, casual dresses, touch lamps (SUPER LIKE!) and online shopping while being subjected to involuntary house arrest.


LOVING: ...what's there to love?


WISHING: I was happier and that life was simpler. I also wish that I didn't watch "Love Hurts" this week cos that stupid movie turned out to be a total waste of my time. That's an hour-and-a-half of precious time alive that I'll never get back.


HOPING: That my next blood test goes well and my test results are truly celebration-worthy. Please let this ordeal be over! PLEASE! *prays* *begs* *grovels* And if you didn't already read about it, I'm also hoping that somebody in the family will get married soon. Reeeal soon. =p


MISSING: Oh, lots of stuff! (Click here and here to know what they are.) But right now? At this very moment? The thing I miss most is the freedom I had when I was living the life I wanted in KL. And Princess.


WANTING: More in life. More happiness. More satisfaction. More contentment. Just... more. I've just been feeling very underachieved of late. I'm not exactly where I want to be; I'm not doing exactly what I want to do... heck, I don't even know what I want to do anymore! Sigh. All I know is that I want so much more than what I have and I want to go so much further than where I've been but I just don't know how to go about achieving it all considering the many obstacles that stand in my way and the numerous restrictions that have been laid before me.


NEEDING: Some "crowded Alone Time". Confused? Don't be. Cos in my books, that means going out solo to a place filled with strangers. Some place safe, of course. Like at a mall or a hypermart. Or even just sitting in my car amidst heavy traffic. Anything, anywhere. As long as I'm on my own but not alone so I can clear my head as I disappear into a crowd.

My Kind Of Morning

Raindrops on a wet balcony.

Mornings just the way I like 'em.  =)

Deep Breath. Again, And Again, And Again.

Ahh, the smell of rubber.

I love it. Love. It. Love.

If you ever find yourself in need of an AAM card – every driver should have one!! – make sure you get yours from AAM, Jalan Sungai Pinang, Penang. Why? Because...

...the floor mats there smell like heaven! <3

*deep breath* *heart melts*

50 Reasons Not To Date A Graphic Designer

I remember reading this in an ex-colleague's FB Note sometime back but somehow, I didn't think of blogging it then. Even read it to Mee before I swiftly moved on with my life and forgot about it. Haha. But today, I saw it again on alwayscuilin's blog and it stole a second truckload of nods and giggles from me so I figured, something this good is totally meant to be kept. =D


p/s: I'm no Graphic Designer by profession but I've bolded whatever the artsy side of me agrees with. =p


1. They are very weird people. (Not bolded. Denial kau kau.)
2. There are billions of them in the world, like colors on the screen of your computer.
3. They will analyse conversations in layers.
4. They will spend the day assembling furniture from IKEA.
5. They drink and eat all kinds of weird shit just because they like the packaging.
6. They hate each other. (No la... where got... *shifty eyes*)
7. They’ll be the last one out of the movies because they have to see the full list of credits.
8. They can't change a light bulb without making a sketch.
9. They f*** up all the tables with their cutters.
10. They would rather study the paisley pattern on your outfit than listen to what you have to say.
11. They will fill your house with magazines and whatever is out there that has drawings.
12. You never know if it is really an original or a copy. (NYEH HEH HEH.)
13. They make collages with your photos.
14. They do not know how to add and subtract, they just understand letters.
15. They idolize people nobody knows and speak of them as if they were their colleagues.
16. They take pictures almost daily and all are cut in weird shapes.
17. They ask your opinion about everything but they do whatever they want.
18. Everything is left-justified, right or center unless they arrive late.
19. They hate Comic Sans with the same passion they love Helvetica.
20. They use the iPhone for everything, because everyone has one. (So not true. Who cares if other people have one??)
21. You can not decorate the house without consulting them.
22. They steal street signs. (@_@ OMG, TIM TAMS THIS IS YOU!!!)
23. Their hands are always drawn or painted with something.
24. They buy dolls unfinished for them to paint.
25. Everything becomes something other than what it really is: cards as tickets, cards as...
26. When arguing, you will be nicknamed the OSX spinning wheel. (Not affectionately.)
27. They do not know how to dress without consulting the Pantone book.
28. They hate Excel.
29. They read comics.
30. They want to save the world with only a poster.
31. They will spend the day brainstorming.
32. On vacation they will take you to countries that you did not know existed and have no beach.
33. Museums are their second home.
34. They know more positions than the Kamasutra.
35. They can’t go to a restaurant without secretly critiquing the menu design. (Haha, this is so me! =p)
36. They listen to music you have never heard of.
37. They can't cook a normal dish, they always have to experiment with new ingredients.
38. They read rare books: Stories of children, Semiotics...
39. When they are going to tell you something, everyone else has read it in their Facebook and Twitter.
40. They owned iPods before you knew they existed.
41. The orgasm they remember is when they heard that Adobe was acquiring Macromedia.
42. They have their own shops just for them, and they are the most expensive in the city.
43. They want to spend all their money in the Apple Store.
44. You will never understand their gifts.
45. They see ordinary objects and laugh.
46. You'll wake up in the middle of the night and hear them them screaming, “When is the deadline?!?” (No la, I only get up in the middle of the night to jot down ideas.)
47. They see CMYK and RGB like Neo sees the Matrix.
48. They dream of the day nobody will make a single change to their designs.
49. They rather pay for a font than for a special birthday gift.
50. They are always sleepy because they work 24/7.

What Kind Of Parent Will You Be?

It's been awhile since I've scoured the net looking for online quizzes. But today, I stumbled upon one by accident while doing some research. Haha. It's called "The Parenting Style Quiz: What Kind Of Parent Are You?" Sounded interesting and it was only 10 questions long so... I did it. And my result?

Hahaha. Not surprising, I suppose. I'm a stickler for social rules and generational hierarchy within social structures like the family institution. (Probably inherited that off Grandma Song. =p) I don't believe in children getting their way all the time or getting away with having things their way. At all.

I believe in that there should be rules, limitations and boundaries set by parents that are to be obeyed, adhered and submitted to by their children. But... I also do believe that there is still lots of fun to be had within the boundaries set by reasonable and understanding parents. But... that's just me. =p

So... what kind of parent are you?

Or what kind of parent will you be?

Find out here.

Sendiri Cari Mari Mia Meme

I've decided to let you know me better through a meme that goes right from A-Z! Hahaha. No, seriously? I snitched this off These Little Moments who snitched this off That Wife. Just cos I'm a bad-ass, no-morals blogger that way. =p


A. Age: 27 by 21 November 2011. (Shit, I can't believe I'll be turning 27!! -_-''')

B. Bed size: Super single. (Damn, I miss my Queen-sized bed in KL. T_T)

C. Chore you hate: MOPPING! Hate it with a vengeance!! >(

D. Dogs: Princess.

E. Essential start to your day: Snoozing endlessly!! Hahahahaha. Then checking my email before I crawl out of bed. -_-'''

F. Favorite color: Urm... don't have one? But I'm generally ok with black, white, Winter shades and Spring hues.

G. Gold or silver: Silver. And a million times silver.

H. Height: 163cm? I think?

I. Instruments you play: Used to play the piano. And now, I, urm... play G, D, Em and A on the guitar. HAHA.

J. Job Title: BDD a.k.a Writer.

K. Kids: None. Yet.

L. Live: Penang Island, Malaysia.

M. Mom’s name: Mee.

N. Nicknames: Pam? Tinki? Don't think I have any, actually. Except for when I was in College and my roommate used to call me Panty. -_-'''

O. Overnight hospital stays: A few.

P. Pet peeve: Wah, I peeve a lot so... *click* *click* *click*

Q. Quote from a movie: "Getting a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You wanna be fully committed." – Eat Pray Love, The Movie.

R. Right- or left-handed: Right.

S. Siblings: None.

T. Time you wake up: Too early by my late-morning standards. -_-'

U. Underwear: Yes, please?

V. Vegetables you dislike: Petai! Emperor vege! And anything that squirts vege juice when I bite into it. Blergh!

W. What makes you run late: Urm... me? Hahaha.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Lungs, torso and teeth.

Y. Yummy food you make: I think my lasagne is pretty good but I cook a mean Chinese meal, too. Go ask The (Ex-)Owner and The (Ex-)Housemate. =p

Z. Zoo animal: Baby elephants! And koalas! And kangaroos! And pandas!

Let's Share Some Secrets

1. I'm secretly pleased that I can't donate blood. It's not cos I'm selfish but cos I have a slight fear of needles. And cos them doctors/nurses just can't seem to get at my blood – except those who work at the blood bank – without bruising me and stabbing me a million times over with a hundred million types of needles in a thousand million needle sizes. T_T


2. I'm secretly pleased that I fry awesome "Pek Chiau ta cien" (read: plain ol' fried White Pomfret without any sauce or garnish) like my Ah Ma did. (Don't believe me, ask my ex-housemates.) It's basically ingredient-less – except for table salt – but somehow, few people manage to fry it the way I like it. =p


3. I'm secretly pleased that my signature hasn't changed since I was 12. And I'm pleaser still – Engrish fail maximum but nememai lah =p – that it's also a not-easy-to-forge signature. (Some have tried. And failed. =p)

Ok. Your turn.

What's True Of You Only Becomes Truth When Others Confess The Same Of The Person You Always Hoped You Are

I was talking to JoshuaOngYS (who's just joined MCKL's Media Wing, by the way!!! =D) about an ex-boss of mine when this bit of conversation took place:

----------------

The usually-very-controversial TYH left me an incredibly rare, serious comment on a recent post entitled "Cruel Irony". His comment said:

Click here to view actual comment. Click here to jump to said post.

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"The truth about the person you are

is not what you say about yourself to others;

it's what others have to say about you."

– Pam Song, 14 January 2011

Rocketeer

Artists: Far East Movement (Feat. Ryan Tedder, frontman of One Republic)
Song Title: Rocketeer

[CHORUS]
Here we go, come with me
There's a world out there that we should see
Take my hand, close your eyes
With you right here, I'm a rocketeer

Let's fly, fly, fly, flyyy
Up, up, here we go, go [2x]
Let's fly, fly, fly, flyyy
Up, up, here we go, go
Where we stop nobody knows [knows]

Where we go we don't need roads [roads]
Where we stop nobody knows [knows]
To the stars if you really want it
Got, got a jetpack with your name on it
Above the clouds in the atmosphere [phere]
Just say the words and we outta here [outta here]
Hold my hand if you feelin' scared [scared]
We flyin' up, up outta here

[CHORUS]
Here we go, come with me,
There's a world out there that we should see
Take my hand, close your eyes
With you right here, I'm a rocketeer

Let's fly, fly, fly, flyy
Up, up here we go, go [2x]
Let's fly, fly, fly, flyy
Up, up here we go, go [here we go]
Where we stop nobody knows [knows]

Baby we can stay fly like a G6
Shop the streets of Tokyo get your fly kicks
Girl you always on my mind
Got my head up in the sky
And I'm never looking down feelin' priceless, yeah
Where we at, only few have known
Go on the next level, Super Mario
I hope this works out, Cardio
Til' then let's fly, Geronimo

[CHORUS]
Here we go, come with me
There's a world out there that we should see
Take my hand, close your eyes
With you right here, I'm a rocketeer

Let's fly [yo]
Nah, I never been in space before
But I never seen a face like yours
You make me feel like I could touch the planets
You want the moon, girl, watch me grab it
See I never seen the stars this close
You got me stuck by the way you glow
I'm like, oh, oh, oh, oh
I'm like, oh, oh, oh, oh

[CHORUS]
Here we go, come with me
There's a world out there that we should see
Take my hand, close your eyes
With you right here, I'm a rocketeer
Let's fly, fly, fly, flyy
Up, up here we go, go [2x]
Let's fly, fly, fly, flyy
Up, up here we go, go [2x]
Where we stop nobody knows, knows, knows

Am totally hooked on this song right now. The lyrics, the beat, the feel, the flow – love it! But you know what I would love more than this? I'd love to travel and would very much rather see more of the world. Even if it means giving up this track. Forever!! @_@ Ok, I take that back. I'll do another trade. One that doesn't involve this song. ANYWAYS... This song got me thinking.

"Here we go, come with me

There's a world out there that we should see"

Although I spent 3 months in Australia and a week in Singapore in 2010, I didn't actually end up visiting a country I've never been to before, unlike the way I did in 2009 or even 2008. I didn't discover anything new about another place. I didn't see anything I've never seen before. Or learn anything interesting about another culture. Last year, I was experientially stagnant. (Best way I can put it.) And looking back at the year now, I realise that I had 365 days to do it all but instead, I let the year fly by without opening myself to any new experiences in new places that would blow my bank account and enrich my life. Sigh.

Gotta make sure 2011 is different.
 

 "Where we go we don't need roads

Where we stop nobody knows"

Today, I Almost Died

Went to Lorong Kulit to buy fruits

with The Fiancé and his mom today.

And almost died of a heart attack in the process.

-_-'''

You see, we missed the parking lot entrance – first and second – so we ended up having to park along the roadside and walking in. While passing through the gate, I suddenly heard a splat. Shit. L-I-T-E-R-A-L-L-Y!! Worse, my acute hearing told me that that unnerving, all-too-familiar, cannot-be-good-news splat had just landed A FEW FEET away from me. @_@


I stopped breathing and my heart froze in my chest. In a split second, my eyes darted up and the sight that greeted me instantly kicked my entire body into fight-or-flight mode. More flight than fight though, I must admit. :-/ I don't even know what I did, man. I think I ran. But I may have hopped. Haha. I also dunno lah. All I know is that it was only after I was finally safely under the covering of makeshift tents, that I took this picture.

Cannot see? I zoom in for you.

OMG, SO MANY CROWS!!!
(Trust me, that picture doesn't do my story justice.)

*faints*

*gets heart attack*

*dies*

It was baaad, man. I kid you not. Definitely heart attack-worthy. I dunno how I could have been so dense to walk right under them without knowing. *slaps self* *lompat bintang seribu kali and stands in corner for self punishment* Thank goodness that splat didn't gravitate my way, man. Or else I think yesterday's Happy Hair story would have been my last post already. *over-dramatic*

But bottom line is this:
I. made. it. out. alive.

Yay me.

*pets self on back*

*receives medal of bravery*

Even so, I guess the ultimate worse part of the entire experience was having to walk under all of them AGAIN after buying fruits, in order to get home. -_-''' First time bodoh bodoh dunno ma. So ok lah. But after know already still walk under??? Walauuu... Tempting fate meh?? I would totally have scaled walls and climbed parking lot fences if The Fiancé hadn't stopped me.

A Free Day Is A Good Day

...to dress up, do nothing and go nowhere. =)

Lazy Mornings That Spill Into Lazy Days

Thought I'd sleep in late today (till noon, maybe?) cos of the plan-less day I planned on having but... I ended up waking up at 9:58AM anyways. Haha. Thing is, I definitely feel happier and more refreshed than usual. Guess the rest I wanted wasn't physical after all. =)


I just miss the days when I got to wake up without the alarm blaring into my ear. Where I could just do what I want without anybody elses schedule to follow, or any cannot-be-missed appointments to make. (Dee's a stickler for early breakfasts so breakfast with him always means leaving like, NOW NOW NOW. *stress* That, and I've also had wedding planning and house preparation activities most weekends since goodness knows when. *double stress*)


I miss the days when lunch time followed the stomach, and not the clock. When afternoons were occupied by a CSI or Grey's Anatomy, a slow fan and a lazy couch. When going out during the weekends was always spontaneous and unplanned. When having no plan was the plan.

Like the way it is today.
Ahh, this is the life. =)

Anyway, I think I'm done talking. Am gonna go feed, breed and sell colourful frogs for imaginary money now. Maybe I'll catch ya later, maybe I won't. Who knows? That's the beauty of days without plans. =)

The Jump From Monthlies To Dailies

Earlier this year, I decided to forgo my monthly lenses for daily-wear ones. I mean, I was hardly wearing my lenses at the time, anyways. (How to wear lenses when you're at the office a gazillion hours a day, right??) So, I thought that daily lenses would be the best way to go about it – having the convenience of lenses, but never having to waste money on lenses I don't wear enough.


Some thinking and a little bit of calculation later, I discovered that as long as I put on contact lenses less than 9 times a month, it would be MORE WORTH IT to go with dailies. (Sorry lah, still Chinese at the end of the day. =p) And as it turns out, I was wearing them less than twice a week. Only for Thursdays when I had to cos of Client-Agency meetings and presentations (which I sometimes went wearing glasses anyways – yes, I'm a rebel =p) and whenever I had fancy-ish parties to attend – like weddings, birthdays and farewells. (So happening hor? -_-')


My main problem with monthly lenses is that they tend to sit in their cases for days on end (or months, in my case -_-) without getting touched. And that practice makes the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria that could cause a myriad of eye problems. And I was starting to get problems. Every once in awhile – actually not that often lah, so far only 3 times in total – my eyeball (not eye okay... eye-BALL!) would swell and fill with liquid under my cornea. It itched and hurt at the time, but it always went away after a good night's rest.

But I wasn't willing to risk my eyesight for beauty.

(Looks like I'm not so oi leng um moi meng after all – haha!)

After an exceptionally bad run with the swollen eye (it didn't go away after I slept), I decided to make the switch – from monthlies to dailies. I guess so far, I'm okay with the change on a whole. Cos it's cleaner and all that. But here are a few pros and cons I have personally experienced with my Bausch & Lomb / For Astigmatism / Daily / Soft Contact Lenses:


PROS OF USING DAILY CONTACT LENSES: 

1. My eyes don't dry out as quickly as they did with monthlies. Somehow, my dailies seem to handle air-conditioned environments and late-ish nights better. (FYI, even a long drive – e.g. back to Penang – with the air-con on would sometimes dry out my previous monthlies. As would the drive home after a long day at work. -_-)

2. They're much much cleaner than monthly lenses. Like I said, lenses that sit in their case for extended periods of time aren't good for your peepers. Nanti mata bernana only you tau!

3. I can change to glasses at any time, hassle free! I love the fact that I can go out with lenses and just leave my glasses in the car. All I need to do when my lenses play up or my eyes get tired, is hop over to the car, squeeze out them lenses and pop my glasses on. So easy! Before, I used to suffer the long hours in contacts cos bringing my lens cleaner solution PLUS my contact case PLUS my glasses (phew!) along to work was just too much of a bother.

4. No lens cleaner, no scrubbing, no sweat. My pre-bedtime ritual is now sooo much simpler. I can just take off my lenses and go right to sleep after tossing my used lenses into the trash. No lens maintenance to worry about at all!

CONS OF USING DAILY CONTACT LENSES:

1. I find my daily lenses less comfortable than my monthly lenses. They don't stick to the eyeball as well and tend to run around whenever I blink or look up and then down again quickly, leaving me with blurry vision.

2. If don't wear my dailies for an entire day, I feel like I've wasted money. I used to be okay with the idea of changing into lenses just before a dinner so I'd clock in less lens-wear time. But now... if I just wear my dailies for a 3-hour dinner party, I feel like I've just wasted a whole day's worth of lens-wear. It's irritating but that thought is always at the back of my mind. Even when I'm at the party! -_-''' So kiam siap hor me? Sigh.

3. They're more expensive. If you're always in lenses and have got money to burn, by all means, go with dailies. But if you're not made of money and are into wearing your lenses regularly, you might wanna stick to monthlies just cos it's the more cost effective option.

What's Your Buried Secret?

Decided to take a rest from painting today and leave it till tomorrow. Instead, I watched Private Practice on Astro. And when that brilliant brainchild left me with a cliffhanger and some lingering thoughts, I decided to log onto my comp and read through some old emails I exchanged with friends. That's when I found this old bit of personality trivia:

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PAM, YOU KEEP SECRETS ABOUT YOUR FINANCES
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They say money can't buy happiness, and that seems to ring true for you. Whether you have a mountain of debt or are sitting on a giant nest egg, you're certainly not going to email your bank statements around. Your money is your business, and there's no reason to involve other people, even if they nose around for more information.

Borrow a few bucks for lunch? Let someone pick up the tab? Not you – you know that nothing will ruin a friendship quicker than those precious greenbacks. So whether you're a long lost Hilton heir or the next Trump, it's not like you'd tell us. Way to keep them guessing!

– What's Your Buried Secret? from Tickle.

It's my result from a Tickle Test I took in 2006 (no links for you cos Tickle is no longer in service – boo hoo) and shared with a close friend back in the day. And I can't help but nod at how true all this is for me.


In the same way that some people abhor revealing things about their personal lives or family histories, I abhor talking about my finances. So, I generally don't. Not about what I have, about what I earn, about what I owe or do not owe the bank, about how much money is in my accounts, and about what my credit card statements look like.


And because I don't ever willingly offer that information up, I don't expect to be told how much people earn, how much they have, or how much they're worth either. And I never ask. Ever. (If they willingly tell me, it's a different story.) Heck, if anything, I don't even know what my parents earn! (Apparently that comes as a huge surprise to many people. -_-)


I don't know why lah but talking about money just makes me feel uncomfortable. Still... if given a choice, I think listening to matters of money is better than having to talk about it. =p So if ever that situation arises, and I'm given insight to the dollars and cents of another, I usually just smile, nod along, go home, and keep my mouth shut. End of story.

Itchy Backside Again

The Fiancé and I got to talking about the IQ testing system yesterday night and he told me that he thought I should take the paid test, submit my scores and join the International High IQ Society.

Cos "it will look good on your resume wat."

Well, I told him that I'd think about it.
But to be honest, I didn't really. Haha.

But whimming seems to be the name of my game these days so today – on a whim – I sat down, logged on to the Internet, entered my credit card info, and did the paid test. Yes, I paid to have an online test software tell me if I'm a brainiac... or just plain brainless. -_-

My recent obsession with
the International High IQ Society
has officially gone overboard. -_-

But I guess it was worth it cos now I know
that I score 141 on a paid IQ test. =)

My official certificate. =)

It's not my best score ever lah but... whatever.
This is paid for so it counts more. HAHA.

*psycho*

The highest I've ever scored on a free, timed IQ test was 144. Or was it 146? Something like that lah. (That was way back during my college days, when The Fiancé was just o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d with finding out which one of us was more "intelligent" than the other. -_-)

ANYWAY... after knowing I qualified for membership with the society, I was satisfied liao, and I planned on giving it a rest. No need to go through the trouble to apply and all that. But then I told The Fiancé about it and he thought that I just might as well submit my score and be a member.

So after lunch with Bear Grylls,
I got online again and proceeded
with the registration.

Pre-filled form.

The site's pretty amazing, actually. I didn't give them my full name upon registering for the test, but they had it anyhow. Chinese name with the right symbols included. Not bad. Haha. But the laughter soon died when I saw this next part:

Eee... must pay summore??
Haiyo, mai liao la. =(