Making A House A Home

The Husband and I have been living in KL for about 5.5 years now. (I moved back down to be with him a few months after we got married.) In these 5.5 years, I've moved a total of 4 times. Yes, FOUR. FREAKING. TIMES. 😅 Crazy, right?


The first move was from Penang down to Mont Kiara in KL. 4 months later, we moved to Subang cos ugh, don't get me started on the MK jam. We lived in Subang for about 2 years then moved to our current condo. A year later, we moved down the hall to another unit in the same block of the same condo. LOL. #gila


Anyway, I've kinda unintentionally resisted setting up home in these houses cos... well, we've somewhat always talked about moving back to Penang someday. So, at the back of my mind, I thought – why put in any effort or throw in any money into a place we won't stay very long at? Doesn't make sense, right? At least that was what I thought at the time.

But now, I'm beginning to think differently. 

Mainly cos my dream of moving into our own home back in Penang is very quickly becoming a reality that is always just beyond my reach. 🙁 That one dream that still eludes me and escapes my grasp each and every time. 😔 It always seems like we're making plans to head back this year. But "this year" always turns into "next year" and then "not now" and "see how". 😢 Still, it's a dream that I hope never becomes "never". 🙏

So yes, it looks like we're here to stay for now.

It's a little of a "yay" and a little of a "nay" for me, to be honest. I've always loved being in KL because my church, my friends and my work are all here. But there's just something about having your own home, decorated with your own stuff, in your own style, with everything placed, set and done your way, that's just so deeply fulfilling and satisfying for a woman. Plus, the feeling of permanence that comes with living in your own home just makes a big difference.


Thing is, although the store room in our Penang house is filled with boxes upon boxes of MYSALE steals, Daiso buys, random decorative stuff and other kitchen knick-knacks from everywhere possible by now 📦📦📦 – household hoarding is my secret joy and financial Achilles heel 😅 – I've not unpacked any of it. Why? Cos I've always wanted to unpack it all in my own space. Very idealistic, I know. So I've waited. And waited. And waited. ⏱

Until now. Cos... screw it lah!

I'm tired of waiting to be happy. 😤

Some of my latest buys are still in KL so I've decided to just unpack and use them NOW rather than later. It's time to make this house our home. #determined

Side table and geometric tea light holder

from MYSALE. Potted plant from SSF.

Kids organising bins from MYSALE.

I really love how easy and convenient preparing the kids for school is now that I've started using these bins. JZ's stuff are on the left half and JJ's stuff are on the right half. This includes school bags, library books, uniforms, PE attires, socks, underwear and diapers – everything in one place without me having to run in and out of the bedroom for anything before rushing them off to school. A winning buy that's totally worth the money! #score

Serving tray, wooden brain teasers and wooden tissue box

from MYSALE. Table from IKEA.

Some brain teasers in the middle of the hall to entertain the guests we're looking forward to having over now that we've integrated ourselves into our cell at SIBKL. (We ended up hosting hangout night with some cellmates 2 weeks ago.) God has really been good to us. He brought us to the perfect cell with all right dynamics, the same maturity, and the perfect psychographics for us to thrive and feel comfortable in. Yay! 

Anyhoo, I digress. 

Back to the subject at hand.

Tray table from MYSALE.

 Glass vases from MYSALE. Photo frames from IKEA.

Lavender potted plant from SSF.

This is a difficult wall to address cos it's right next to my bedroom door. Put anything too big there and it blocks the entryway. Anything too small, and it seems odd and out of place. I can't decide if I want this setup here permanently cos it's a little low but, it'll do for now. I think the pictures help breathe a little more life into this little corner of the house, though. I'm kinda glad I decided to remove them from our bedroom bookshelf and put them out here. 

Table and colourful kiddie bookshelf from MYSALE.

Table lamp from IKEA. Diffuser from Young Living.

Put these in one corner of our bedroom. (That wall was left empty before and the diffuser was diffusing from the floor.) They help make the room feel more organised, personalised and lived-in. I plan to get a 2-seater sofa and/or a work table to effectively use up the rest of the space in front of our bed. Hopefully I find something nice and cheap! Haha. SSF, maybe?

Aiya, there's more ID and sprucing up to be done once I get my stuff from Penang back to KL la. I can't wait to get to it! 🤗 But bringing all back down is going to take a whole lotta trips up and down the North-South. Not an easy feat considering we always travel back to Penang with the kids and a helper so there's hardly any empty space in the car to begin with.

Also, filling in the little gaps around the house will require spending more money at SSF, MYSALE, IKEA and Daiso. 💸💸💸 (These seem to be the only places I shop at, eh?) You'd be surprised how much the miscellaneous things can cost! So, Imma really have to pace myself on that one lest I go broke trying. 😁

Oh well, at least I'll be a happy woman

eating white bread and plain porridge

in my very pretty home. 😝

LOLOLOL! 

Standing At The Brink Of History

...with a blue pointer finger. =p

It's GE13, bay-beh!!!

Today's Malaysian Google doodle.

At long last, D-Day has comeeee!!!

 This is my second time voting and I must say that the atmosphere is entirely different than it was the last time I voted. Back in 2008, there was hardly anybody at my polling station and I even ended up being the LONE RANGER assigned to my room. This time around? WAH! Cars parked in every available corner and the whole school was jammed packed with people sweating like stinky sardines in a can! Even so, it was very friendly, very happy, very organised chaos, if you ask me. Haha.

At the end of the day, I have zero complaints even though I left looking flushed and feeling very sweaty. The Little Man was super well-behaved throughout and didn't complain once either in spite of the crowd and supreme Penang heat! #littlepatriot #proudmom I think he was the only infant/baby/child at the polling station while we were there so he was a real hit with the aunties and – very surprisingly – the 20-something-year-old men. @_@ #newagemasculinity

Yours Truly with Mee, Dee and Baby.

Anyhew, it's so thrilling to be a part
of this exciting time in history when the fate

of Malaysia could change forever.

Is this the kali? We'll see! =D

Now, to get that damned indelible ink off my finger.

Wants Vs. Wishes

You know, I can't imagine

ever giving up my job in this lifetime*.

But then again... every once in awhile, when shit hits the fan and work feels like a chore, I imagine living the life of a stay-at-home wife who does nothing all day but ride white unicorns across the horizon in the morning, lazes in a bed of roses (no thorns, thank you) while being fed plump, juicy grapes from a silver platter by a fat cupid with too little clothes on in the afternoon, and goes to sleep in a cot of fluffy clouds with just the twinkle of the stars and the soft glow of the moon for light at night. =p

Haha. Yeah. Right.

Just give me work and a fat paycheck

in place of that white unicorn and fat cupid,

and I'll take it all with no second thoughts
any day of the week. =p

* I say "lifetime" but you know I don't really mean a w-h-o-l-e lifetime, right? Work till I'm 90? No way! Only up till the point of retirement, thank you. Say 50 or 55. Maybe less if I change my mind when I turn 40. =p But right now? I think 55's a good age to kick back and relax. But not while I'm at the peak of my adult life and my career, like now. After all, what's the point? Study 15 years of my life away, work a little and then suddenly decide to drop it all and do nothing with all the head knowledge and experience I've gained while I still have the strength, energy and my youth to make a difference?? Hell, no.

New Year Cherries From My Oldest Friend

I know, I know. The year is nowhere close to being "new" anymore. Haha. But better late than never, right? So, don't judge. Instead, check out this little bag of goodies that somehow found its way from Adelaide, Australia to me in Penang this recent 1st of January 2012. =)

 A little bundle of edible love from Gannie.

Ignore the M&Ms in that pic, please. Cos we really

need to focus on the more important things in life:

LIKE CHERRIESSSS!!! =D =D =D

*cartwheels all around*

OMG, would you look at that???

Self-picked red and "white" cherries. <3

Now, to give you some history to dilute

the randomness of all this cherry talk:

You see, I blogged about indulging in red cherries one day last year. Gannie immediately comment-replied and What'sApp!-ed me to say that I should actually try eating white cherries instead cos she kinda likes them better. To that I said, "White what!?" Or something like that cos, like, I've never even heard of white cherries before, much less have a preference for them over the more common red ones we usually get here. Haha. So, she very kindly offered to get me some to try for myself since she recently went cherry picking over the Summer in Australia.

So... here were are, back with

the gift bag from Adelaide.

Those two items actually flew all the way from Adelaide to Singapore with Gannie, stayed in Singapore for awhile, then flew from Singapore to Penang with Gannie's mom. So it's really come a long way to get to me. So touched at the effort put in by an old friend to make sure her friend isn't a cherry sua ku and knows what white cherries look and taste like. And they look like this:

 White cherries up front.

Though let's not be kacang-lupakan-kulit

and forget the red cherries that have

made my life so sweet thus far. =p

 Familiar red cherries!

They're different on the outside

...and to my surprise, on the inside, too!

The insides of a white cherry on the left, and a red cherry on the right.

Both were good but I have to say, Gannie's right. The white ones are surprisingly (and most deceivingly) sweeter although they look a million times more sour than the dark, red ones! What a pleasant surprise. Too bad there weren't that many to go around. 20 cherries in total with just 8 super precious white ones. 

Every cherry counts.

Gosh, I can't believe I'm 27+ and I've never even seen a Cherry Tree before. Sigh. But that will change. Because I WILL go cherry picking someday. You mark my words. It's already on my travel to-do list! Right behind "Seeing Snow". T_T

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

Dearest Gannie,

Thanks for the cherries (and the M&Ms).

It means the world to me that you'd go through

the trouble of flying those 20 precious cherries

all the way from Australia to me. Let's go

cherry picking together one day. Someday. =)

XOXO,

Pam Song

The Next Time I'm In Singapore...

...I'm going to let myself loose at Sephora.

And anybody who stands in my way

will get an eyeliner up his/her nose. >(

Of Bling Things And Girly Dreams

Correction, babe. That's EVERY girl's girly dream. =p

Congrats on having it come true. You're living the dream!

Girly Girl Stuff You Boys Will Never Understand

If I suddenly just had me a baby girl overnight who miraculously got conceived, impossibly grew outside my tummy and somehow managed to survive on nothing more than an unmarried 26-year-old's childish wishes and dreams for 9 missing months... She'd totally be prancing around in these right now.

I See The Light

Artists: Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi
Song Title: I See The Light [OST Rapunzel (a.k.a. Tangled)]

Rapunzel:
All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight
Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be

And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you

Eugene (Flynn):
All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time never truly seeing
Things, the way they were
Now she's here shining in the starlight
Now she's here, suddenly I know
If she's here it's crystal clear
I'm where I'm meant to go

Rapunzel & Eugene (Flynn):
And at last I see the light

Eugene (Flynn):
And it's like the fog is lifted

Rapunzel & Eugene (Flynn):
And at last I see the light

Rapunzel:
And it's like the sky is new

Rapunzel & Eugene (Flynn):
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once, everything is different
Now that I see you, now that I see you

That scene in Tangled was so magical

it made me smile and gave me goosebumps.

This sight did the same for me.

 A sky of floating lanterns as seen in Penang

last Saturday, 5 February 2011.

Eventually

I was just thinking about what I want in life. What I want, not now, not this year, but like... eventually. (Not talking about eternal life here, okay. Just about life here on Earth.) Like, after all is said and done. Like, when I'm sitting down with a good cup of tea after retirement and looking back at what's been with a smile and looking forward to what's ahead with excitement. That kind of eventually. And what I eventually want is...

1. TO HAVE A HAPPY FAMILY. To be able to come home to a well-kept, quiet and peaceful home that will always be my sanctuary no matter how terrible the day I've had. Where Laughter and Happiness run free through every room in the house and Anger and Irritation never rear their ugly heads. Where time together is precious, memories are treasured, anniversaries are remembered, and birthdays are celebrated. Where spouses stay loving, kind and understanding of each other regardless of the time, day or issue at hand. Where kids are well-behaved, filial and respectful of their elders at all times. And where in-laws never become outlaws.

2. TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH. And in my books, "good health" means "t-o-t-a-l wellness". Specifically, in body (physical), mind (mental), heart (emotional) and spirit (spiritual). It's not about the number of carrot sticks I eat or the calories I don't. Instead, it's about how alive I feel on the inside, and how much energy I have within me to do what I want, to keep my body busy, my mind occupied and my spirits up for as long as I shall live. (Which, ideally, is looong enough.) That doesn't mean I don't want to still look hawt when I'm preggers or stay trim when I'm not. It just means that I can't just be healthy on the outside. I want to be healthy on the inside, too. 

3. TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. To pay for bills, food and other necessities without thinking twice or worrying about tomorrow's accounts. To pamper myself as I want, when I want, without having to feel guilty about it. To not have to compromise on what I want with what I can afford. To be able to give presents that my loved ones would really, really want – "Oh, you need a car to get around? Sure!" =p – without even having to consider how much it's going to cost me. To have enough to plan holidays, see things and go places without worrying about travel costs, hotel rates and exchange rates, or worry about coming home to mile-long credit card statements and empty bank accounts after.

What do you want at the end of the day?

Calvin and Hobbes Say It Best. Or Maybe Just Hobbes.

Click on image to enlarge.

"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long.

If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night."

– Hobbes

Secrets Dreams Tell You In The Night

Do our dreams tell us things we already know but refuse to admit? Or do they speak of the issues deep within our hearts – things that trouble us – that we can't pinpoint in real life? Or do they tell tales of issues that plague our minds that we are otherwise unwilling to face? Or do they alert us to what's coming – like a silent heads-up – so we don't get taken by surprise? What secrets do dreams tell in the quiet and darkness of night? And do they really mean anything or nothing at all?

Post Envy

I love this post. Like, love, love, looooveeee it. In a giddy-headed, totally-makes-me-want-to-melt kinda way. The set-up, the adjectives, the expressions...

*dreamy sigh*

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

 "It’s funny how you can’t always remember
those moments when she asks you "why do you even like me?",
but in the moment, as they happen, you know that’s why.

If I had to guess, that was a moment
she’d never remember about that particular day.

And yet for me, it’s a moment I can’t forget."

–  DShan in Soft Lightning Bolts

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

If ever I was blessed enough to have an adoring piece like that written about me, I'd read it, goo up on inside, and turn to mush the moment I reached the end.

*dreamy eyes*

Dream Big

Question is, how big is big

when you're dreaming?

As much as I'm an dreamer who secretly hopes for even my most impossible of dreams come true, I'm also very much a realist who believes that although bursts of idealistic thinking is healthy every once in awhile, it is rarely ever a guarantee of things to come.

You see, I'm the kind of girl who only

comments and commits to certainty.

For example, if I think I'm going to get an A for a paper but I already KNOW FOR SURE that I'm going to score a B with my eyes closed, I'll tell friends who ask, "Urm... I thiiink B can kuaaa." It's not that I don't believe in myself or my abilities. Quite the opposite, really. Cos on the inside, I know that that A I want is already a definite possibility. Difference is, until it's a GUARANTEE, I try to make sure that I never over-promise or under-deliver.


But I've recently been around friends who don't think the way I do. And not just in a small way. In a big way! Like, the biggest of ways! I mean, the dreams they share are sooo big that I start thinking, "Eh, hello. Don't be so ridiculous can ah?? Open your eyes and see (smell also can) the shit hole you're in. Use your brain and be realistic a bit lah!" I mean, of course I don't say that to their faces and kill their dreams. I just smile on the outside and quietly think all that on the inside. Cos to me, the dreams they have are just... impossible! -_-'''


Like saying (and actually believing!! @_@) that they're going to be a billionaire by a certain age, who owns half the world and is committed to giving billions away to charity/church/social organisations. To this, I roll my eyes and say, "Yeah, right. We'll see." It's easy to just say it now while you don't actually have a car, a house, or any of those billions you so freely speak of giving away.


Or starting a fast food franchise that topples McDonald's. Or a carbonated drink that overthrows Coca-Cola's dominance in the soft drink arena. Or owning every single model of every type of car in the world. I mean... HELLO?? Sure, you got big dreams lah. But I look-see look-see, I'm sad to say that I personally think that that's what they'll permanently be in the real world – just dreams.

Sigh. I don't know lah.

Maybe I've just got too little faith

to accept such big-dream thinking.

But then again... in the defence of dreamers out there, I also admit that as long as those grand plans lie within the safe and sturdy realms of logic, they cannot be considered part of a dream. Because dreams don't always make sense. (Yes, Inception, you've taught me well. =p) And they shouldn't have to.

So, here's my conclusion:

Perhaps when it comes to dreams,

it's not entirely about logic.

It's about POSSIBILITY.

Your plans and dreams for the future don't have to make sense all the time. They can be big. And grand. And even borderline ridiculous. But I personally believe that parts of it has to at least carry some elements of sensibility some of the time. To help make those dreams possible. Doable. Even remotely achievable.

Otherwise,

you're just putting yourself

up for BIG disappointment.

BESTEST OF THE BEST Christmas Album

If you've known me for awhile or have been following Tinki Talks for at least a year or two, you'd have probably realised that I'm big, big, BIG on Christmas. Even bigger than I am on New Year, Valentine's and sometimes even Birthdays. (That last one's a big sometimes, by the way. HAHA.)


But yeah, I LOVE Christmas to death! If Malaysia had been blessed with snowy Decembers, I'm sure I'd be one of those loonies freezing their butts off making snow angels, breaking their backs making snowmen and freezing their fingers off throwing snowballs. Haha.

Unfortunately, I've never even seen real snow.

So... no snow angels, no snowmen,

and definitely no snowballs for me.

T_T

What I indulge in – in place of all that heavenly snowy goodness – are Christmas songs. Lots and lots of Christmas songs. And every year since I started using iTunes and ultimately discovered the Repeat button, I pick an annual Christmas album, and from that, an ultimate favourite song for that year's Christmas. Well, it's no different this year. And...

I think I just found my Christmas album of 2010. =)

If I Wanted To Get One, I'd Get One Like This

Via Kyla Roma

A curly, girly "Smile" right smack on my trigger finger. =)

Watch. This.

Popular from Wicked via No Rings Attached


...then tell me this:
How can anybody not want to watch Wicked!?

Even this one part is so freaking funny already. I was laughing so hard that I hardly had time to breathe! Haha. Kristin Chenoweth is da bomb as Galinda lah. So bimbotic, so blunt and so very tactless... but in a somewhat innocent and childlike manner. Haha. Just perfect!


Mind you, Idina Menzel who played Elphaba (the green one who duduk diam diam in this scene), is also a winner in her own right. She won Best Actress for her part in the 2004 Tony Awards! (That year, they also won for Scenic Design and Costume Design.) This is why Wicked is not to be missed. It has won many awards over the years lah, okay. Go Google it yourself. What's important is this:

I WANNA WATCH WICKED!

Stupid Overworking Brain

I've been dreaming a lot lately.

In fact, I've been having dreams
every night since I arrived in Australia.

At any other time with any other dream set, I think I'd be okay with it. But not now, and definitely not with this batch of dreams in particular. They're not exactly nightmares, but they're not much of a joy to have either. Worse, they usually come just before morning arrives so I often wake up feeling lousy about myself and the things around me cos it kinda sets the pace and ruins the whole day.

Sigh.

How do I make them stop? Or how do I, at the very least, partition them away from real life? Because I can't seem to do either right now.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

If I dreamt that I risked my life and saved someone from some kind of danger, I'd worry till I see for myself that that person's okay in real life. And then... cos I spent all that mental energy (running about saving them in my dreams) and emotional energy (worrying myself sick upon waking up) on them, I'd be ticked off or upset (depending on who, how and when) because the other person's not at all nice, kind or grateful to me in return after all I've 'done'... in my dreams.

Sigh.

You see my problem now?
See how sick this cycle is???

I so need to learn to veto my brain into Shut Down mode at night so I can get off this ride. Cos right now, I'm not enjoying it one bit.

AMA: What Will You Do If You Won RM1000000?

QUESTION: What will you do if you won RM1000000? – Theeggyolks


ANSWER: I would donate it all to charity and vote for world peace. *blink blink* *grin* Hell, no. I'm just kiddin' ya. Haha. Ok, sorry. I'll be serious now. Hmmm. If I won 1 million ringgit, I guess I'd probably do the following:

* In no particular order.

1. Give 10% back to God.

2. Bring my loved ones to some place nice for a long, relaxing holiday. Flying to more than 1 place abroad would be nicer, of course, but I'm still at No.2 so I shan't get too carried away.

3. Start a business I'd enjoy working on that's fun but isn't just for fun. It must also be the type that guarantee can continue to make money wan.

4. Buy a nice living space and have it ID-ed to my liking.

5. Put aside a good sum for my children's education.

6. Invest that said sum (since the kids are still non-existent at this point in time) as well as the rest of the money that's left. Whatever extras I make from the kids' education fund goes back into their future bank accounts; whatever I make from the remainder of the RM1mil, goes into mine.

7. Ask, "SURE BO I WIN 1 MILLION??? You dun bluff me lorrr!"

Eh, you know hor... When you actually think about how you wanna go about spending it... 1 million really not that much leh. -_-'''


Go ahead. Ask Me Anything.

Empire State Of Mind

Artists: Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
Song Title: Empire State Of Mind





[JAY-Z]
Yeah
Yeah I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to Deniro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicano's
Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons with them pastries
Cruisin' down 8th Street, off white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say whatup to Ty-Ty, still sippin' mai tai's
Sittin' courtside, Knicks & Nets give me high five
Nigga I be spike'd out, I could trip a referee
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from...

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[JAY-Z]
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
But I got a gang of Niggas walkin' with my clique though
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Africa Bambata shit, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't for they act like they forgot how to act
Eight million stories, out there in it naked
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
If Jesus payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwayne Wade
Three dice cee-lo, three card molly
Labour Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade
Long live the Kingdome, I'm from the Empire St. that's...

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[JAY-Z]
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick
The sidelines is lined with casualties who sip to life casually
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple leaf
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
End of the winter gets cold, en vogue with your skin out
City of sin, it's a pity on the wind
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Hail Mary to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[ALICIA KEYS]
One hand in the air for the big city
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty
No place in the world that could compare
Put your lighters in the air
Everybody say "Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah."

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

I miss feeling ALIVE.

That feeling like my lungs are just bursting with breath, my body's charged and ready for whatever comes my way, and my being just wants to explode from sheer expectancy. I want to know that greater things await me. And I want to look forward to that time and be prepared for it, whenever it comes.

Problem is,
I think I've stopped painting pretty pictures
in my head – pictures of things to come.

Don't know when it happened but it did.

Sigh.

I'm in need of a place that'll inspire me to start dreaming again. It's been awhile since I've indulged in thoughts of anything bigger than what could possibly be. So caught up with what has been, what is and what will certainly be that I've forgotten the beauty in looking toward the unknown and jumping without seeing ground.

-----------

"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York"

-----------

Maybe I should start making plans
to hit the Big Apple someday.

p/s: This song is way beyond addictive. It's got a good feel to it. I don't really care what Jay-Z sings (though I think the man's got crazy talent – hey, he didn't break the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 by doing nothing) but I especially love the Alicia Key parts in this song. Makes me wanna move.

I No C I C Snow

Did you guys get that? That was supposed to be "I No See Icy Snow." Ha. Ha. Ha. I'm so lame at 4 in the morning. (I blame the workload.)

-_-

Now, where was I?

Oh yes... Snow.

It's one of the things I'd like to see with my own eyes
and feel in my boots and on my lashes before I pass on.

Was waiting to collect Baby from the workshop last Monday when I read this in a random magazine that was made available to patrons.

Interesting. (Not that I'm not aware that my brain constantly lies to me, of course. -_-) But what really caught my eye was this bit:

Pink snow?!? Man, I gotta see that someday! (Haha. Plain, white snow also never see before in my whole life, now come and tua sia say wanna see pink snow? Talk about dreaming big, wei. =p) But, yeah. Tua sia or not, I'd like to see Watermelon Snow someday.

TARGET: Visit Sierra Nevada, US of A
before I get too old to climb mountains. =)

Ahh, I love the changing of seasons. Or rather, I love the thought of it. (Eee, so pathetic. -_-) You see, I've never actually lived outside of Malaysia. And I've never been abroad on vacation long enough to actually see change take place before my very eyes. Sigh. I'd really love to though.


Sometimes, I wonder if I was born on the wrong continent. Why wasn't I born some place where there's Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring? Then, I'd totally be living the dream. (I know lah, I know – grass always greener on the other side bla bla bla dun rain on my parade can? I'm telling story here so you diam diam and let me finish.)


And I guess if I were to put my dream of watching the changing of seasons aside (and falling hopelessly in love / getting married / starting my own family / having my own kids), the other one thing I'd like to touch/see/feel would be snow. Pink or not pink also nevermind lah at this point in time – I shan't be picky. As long as it's me looking up and seeing tiny specks of intricately patterned ice falling from the skies, I'll die a happy girl.