June Updates, Another First Experience And The Law of Attraction..

Hi all...

Sorry for the long hiatus.. I hadn't been well for the 1st week of June. Me and boo came down with diarrhea for 4 days when we ate kerang bakar in Salut road side. We also drank kelapa bandung where the bandung drink is made with coconut water and served in a coconut shell with it's flesh intact. Both the kerang bakar and bandung kelapa were sooooo delicious. I would go there again, only maybe next time armed with Chi-Kit Teck Aun pills. Hehe..

The next day after our drive to Salut, we went to Kudat once again. This time it was planned and we took the time to check out the Gambizau Honey Farm and the Rungus Long House. Best!! The floor of the long house freaked me out though. I felt as if it was not strong enough to support my body weight and the gaps on them made me paranoid that I would accidentally poke my toes through one of the gaps and fall.

 Admission is RM5 for local adults..

 The honey bee 'houses'..

 Our guide smoke the bees using dried coconut husks so that they won't attack sting us visitors..

 Freaking out inside...

 Unfortunately 'honey season' is in July and August so we weren't able to see how honey looks like in the comb.

 Rungus Long House..

 It's actually a lodge..

 Steps...

A few of the Rungus ladies selling beaded handicrafts 

 Correct me if i have the name or spelling wrong but this is a traditional game called Tonduo Dazai wich when translated means 'figure it out yourself' or 'fikirlah sendiri'.. The objective is to free the string from the interlocked ratan.. 

The door to the individual rooms of the lodge..

Boo..

Aum... Bahahaha... 

Inside the rooms..

The gaps on the floor had me walking gingerly across it to get to the other side of the house..

The common kitchen..

Our third destination was of course Simpang Mengayau. We were quite tired by this time and almost didn't go but decided to do so anyway because the first time we did it rained and to be honest, it was quite a miserable experienced. Boy am I glad that we went the second time around.

The weather was a total opposite from our first trip. I was soooooo hot? The blistering heat even prompted me to buy an ice cream Drumstick despite it being sold double the price. Despite all that, the scenery looked gorgeous. When the sun's rays reflect off the sea (something to be enjoyed only with a pair of sunglasses on), it looked like precious stones. 

The agonizing walk to the 'tip' from the parking lot. Actually, it's the walk BACK to the parking lot that's extra painful because of the blistering heat.

The light house in the distance..

 See how shimmery the water is?

 Macam iklan pula tau...

Sy pun mau buat iklan juga.. 

Aisehmen.. Jangan marah haa...

I wore the wrong type of footwear to Simpang Mengayau lah.. If I had worn sturdier shoes I would have been able to go down right to the water's edge.. Huhu.. After Simpang Mengayau we went back home, exhausted but very satisfied. Thank you boo...

On the 9th I had my first experience of being run over by a car.. Okay, that was embellished. Actually, my left foot got run over by none other than Crystal, boo's car. Boo asked me to warm up his car. It wasn't the first time for me and I usually check to see if Crystal's gear is free before starting her up because I was paranoid of starting her and her gear wasn't free that she would suddenly start moving by herself.

On that particular day I didn't check the gear and simply started Crystal. Guess what? She DID started to move on her own. I screamed for boo as I ran alongside her trying to get to the keys but I was caught in a bush and fell. My left foot then got run over by Crystal's right back tyre. 

Boo ran up to me and wanted to help me but I yelled as him to stop Crystal because she was moving towards a ditch. He caught up with her, dived in through the front passenger door My heart was truly in my mouth as I  watched both of them moving closer and closer towards the ditch before Crystal mercifully stopped literally 2 feet from it.  

It turned out that Crystal was in 1st gear and the handbrake wasn't pulled up. It never happened before and I guess boo was really tired or had his mind elsewhere when he switched off the engine. It really chilled me to think of what might have happened if boo hadn't managed to stop her in time not to mention the cost of repairing her.

As for my foot, it hurt like hell. I was lucky that none of the bones were broken even though my foot was in a slanted position when it got run over. I just had a limp for a few hours and after that could walk like normal. I only experienced a bit of swelling on the day of the incident. Although I must say, I still feel a bit of pain on my foot when I press the area that was injured now. Huhu...

So that's all for now. Stay tuned for more posts.. Cheers! 

Skins and Facebook

Hi,
So about 4 years ago Friendster was really big and one of the attractions is being able to customize one's profile page with various backgrounds and layouts. Then Facebook trumped Friendster and became a worldwide phenomenon.

Facebook, unlike Friendster, doesn't have all the customizable profile thing going on and to be honest this is kind of a relief for me because personally I feel really pressured in picking the 'right' layout that looks uber cool. My fears are not unfounded either. Your layout is an expression of who you are and if it ain't cool then you're not cool either.

With Facebook I feel like everyone is equal. You only get to see how cool people are if you actually go into their photo albums and see the exciting things they do and the awesome places they go to. Other than that, they're just like everyone else with their blue and white background. Until recently that is.

Last month when a girl sitting beside me in a bus whipped out her lappy and logged on her Facebook. That's when I saw a Facebook skin 'in action' for the first time and no joke, it left me paralyzed with horror for a few seconds. I went like, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" inside.

Great. Now that Facebook has skins available it's just a matter of time before everyone jumps on the bandwagon and we get judged by our tastes again. When you're younger it's more forgivable to pick the 'wrong' and the ugly. It's so much more difficult now that I'm a working young woman.

Not only will I need to pick something that's in my favorite color, I would also need to pick something that reflects who I am without sending the wrong message or impressions to my future employers while at the same time look cool and hopefully unique. Talk about pressure.

Now I know what you're saying. If I feel so negatively about it then don't install it. Problem solved right? Wrong. As grown up as I am, I still have this need to conform to the norm around me. And I don't have anything against pimping my profile really, it's just the whole judgement on what I choose that makes me a wee bit anxious.

Nevertheless, I decided to check out one of the sites that provides Facebook skins and here are some of that caught my attention:

Okay, so being a girly girl, I immediately clicked on the Girly category and I feel a bit confused. Since when does girly equals soft porn?

Imagine if I pick this as my FB skin. Haha.. Kalah orang yang kerja di MAC Counter oh..

Now this is an expression of a side of me but unfortunately blue is not my color and it doesn't really look classy or sophisticated for the benefit of my future employers. Yeah, neurotic I know.

 This is an example on how skins can give out the wrong message or impression. Talk about desperate. And when the husband sees this somebody's gonna have a lot of explaining to do.

In the end this is what I picked:

Perfect!

Phy Is Confused..

Okay, so I have made my decision to resign from the Government. Now, my dilemma is the next step from here. Where do I go? What do I do? Boo suggested that I apply for banks here in KK. However to be honest, I am trying my best to branch away from Finance.

I graduated with a Diploma in Business Studies and I studied accounts and finance as much as I studied economics, PR, HR, Sales and Marketing. I'm a bit concerned that if I take up a position in Finance once again, I'll be stuck in that line forever when in actual fact, I am perfectly qualified to take on other line of work.

I attended a friend's elder sister's wedding at Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort last Saturday with my sister and both of us worked there before. After the wedding we took a walk to the new building which was the Ocean Wing and were bowled away at the changes and beauty of it all.

Last week I also met a British young lady who happens to be an English teacher at Tamparuli. She came to the Traffic counter to pay for her parking fines and as we were chatting I felt so happy. I totally felt my hotelier side come out. Suddenly I remember how I used to meet such people everyday.

It made me really miss working in a hotel. Or rather, it made me miss working under Shangri-La at their resorts. It made me miss working in the front line, meeting new people and learning new things everyday. In case you didn't know, I was once a Guest Relations Officer Trainee and I was the happiest I've ever been during those times.

 Bird's Eye View of Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort

How can you not be inspired with such beauty?

I got inspired everyday by the beauty of my then-workplace and I love being surrounded by luxury. I'm a shy person but I managed to break through and make small conversations with guest, show them around, making courtesy calls, etc. Those short two months really did have a deep impact in my life and how I conduct myself.

So, what's the prob? you may ask. If you love it so much just work in the front line of a resort then. Well, the downside to that is the pay. I'm not sure about other resorts but the basic pay for front liners are pretty crappy. And the evening and overnight shifts? I'd need a car, which I won't be able to afford with the measly pay that I would be getting.

I've also worked in the offices of another one of Sabah's local Shangri-La's resorts. The pay was slightly better but not by too far of a stretch. It's office hours though and I figured if I go into the Sales Department, it would be the best of both world's now wouldn't it? Then again, I would still need a car to meet potential customers...

Okay fine, just work in a company that pays handsomely. Yeah, well you see I don't do that well with 4-corner offices or jobs that requires me to be at the offices typing letters all day. Don't get me wrong, I love typing when I'm 'writing' but typing company letters? It makes me feel like my soul is slowly shriveling and dying. No offence to those who actually do this kind of job. Hats off to ya'.

This dilemma has been going around and around in my head. Don't even get me started on whether I should stay here in Sabah or move back to KL. Yeah, as in Kuala Lumpur and not Kampung Luagan. I love Sabah and I sincerely prefer being here in my 'planet' of familiar faces, way of speaking and food than there for all it's glory. I know that I would miss Sabah terribly if I move but unfortunately, the pay is higher there..

Can you imagine how nauseous I feel every time I try to figure things out? Yes, it does look like I am being a bit picky over my next job but I just have a better idea of what I am, what I like and prefer. I want my next job to be something that I won't regret to be a mistake in a few months time. Hardly something that could be guaranteed but still, no harm in trying right?

Gah! Help! I'm so confused. Deciding one's career path is seriously tiring stuff..

13 Personal Questions Tag...

1. What do you order at Starbucks?
-   My favorite is the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. Yummy!

2. What's one thing in your closet that you cannot live without?
-   My jeans.

3. What's one thing that most people probably wouldn't know about you?
-   I am creeped out by small, furry creatures such as hamsters. 

4. Name one thing that you want to do before you die
-   Travel the world and live to write about it..

5. What's one food that you cannot live without?
-   Chocolate!

6. What quote/phrase do you live your life by?
-   It's pretty cliche, which is 'Everything happens for a reason'.

7. What do you like and dislike about yourself?
-   I like the fact that I am very driven and determined when I badly want something.
-   I dislike the fact that I am a procrastinator.

8. What's your number one favorite song of the moment?
-   On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez.

9. What kind of style would you define yourself as having?
-   Romantic. I love floaty fabrics, lace, soft pastel colors and flowy silhouettes.

10. Favorite number
-     My favorite is number 5.


11. Two hobbies
-     Reading and blogging

12. Two pet peeves
-     People who are slow in actions and in comprehension.
-     People eating smelly food in enclosed spaces.

13. Guilty Pleasure
-     Singing in the shower.




I tag:
Amanda
Asrih
Sofia
AnnieMing
Khadizah

Wah, So Calerful One!

I swear I have come down with Purchasinus Indecisivikus Syndroma, also known as the Curse of Indecisiveness. It seems to have started when my barely adequate pay was further reduced because of the increase in EPF contribution percentage a few months back. The lack of funds transformed me into a mass of nervous jelly, constantly over-thinking my decisions over my purchases.

Is this a need or a want?
Is this necessary?
I deserve this treat.. But then again, what if I fall sick and need to go to the clinic?
Is this worth the money spent?
Should I buy this over that?

All these questions run rampant on my mind constantly. They may seem like normal questions, smart even. Just what someone who's financially savvy would ask themselves in order to avoid making unnecessary purchases. Thing is, I doubt Suze Orman asks herself those questions when let's say, buying a pack of Strepsils (like I did).

My point is, because of all that stressing I can't seem to make any decisions off the bat. Not even simple ones such as what to eat, where to eat or even what to read. It's awful! This was especially evident to me today when I was asked by boo to pick a wallet. He wanted to treat me to one as my coin purse has been a poor substitute to a for the past 6 months.

Thanks for being my wallet all this while. Time for you to do what you do best.. Being a coin purse..

I would have taken longer to pick one up if my tummy wasn't insistently singing the Gardenia (bread) song. Another reason for me being relatively quick was that as kind and loving as boo is, he, like most men is 'allergic' to shopping. I ran back and forth between the 2 final 'candidates', frantically checking style, versatility and practicality with 1001 question and doubts running through my head.

In the end, I chose the one that I would have overlooked and dismissed as 'not my style' simply because I wanted a change. What's a change in the color choices of a wallet as compared to a change in career right? I must say.. I FREAKIN' LOVE IT! The more I look at it, the more I fall in love with it. I have gone even as far as to name it.

Without further ado I present to you the newest material love of my life, Lila!

 Lila's front view.. Wah, so calerful one!

From the back..

So not my usual choice of color but I have no regrets. Lets just hope my next career choice will have the same outcome. Hehe.. Cheers!

The Last Straw..

Today was surprisingly pay day for Government servants. Usually on pay days I would feel like I am given a new tank of oxygen and that I am able to breathe easy again even if it's only for a few days (yes, you read right. Days, not weeks). I would indulge in one meal at 'expensive' restaurants like Kenny Rogers, Michi Japanese Restaurant, etc. and buy either an outfit, a makeup item or a novel (not all three).

Recently my financial situation got to the point where I was literally living on RM50 for the final 2 weeks by eating 2 RM0.50 mee/meehoon for each meal. Which resulted in me coming down with fever, sore throat and cough at least 4 times in the past 6 weeks and getting infections at the drop of a hat. With no nutrition going into my body, I loathe to even think how low my immune level is.  

Today I went to 1Borneo Hypermall intending to eat at New York, New York and buy a novel (it was either The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk or The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer). However the past 2 weeks experience has left me, well, traumatized so to speak.

I kept changing my mind on whether to go to New York New York to get a square meal and their Mud Pie for dessert, or going to  Secret Recipe to have only their cake then finally reducing my choice to going to Starbucks for a mere Frappucino. I ended up doing none of them. Just as I ended up not buying a novel.

When I tried to decide on what I wanted to spend my money on, instead of feeling the pleasure and anticipation the only thing on my mind is the money I'm spending and it totally ruined everything. I knew if I tried to force my feelings aside and just spend the money, I would feel really awful and guilty.

Needles to say, I felt and still feel really gutted. To go through such hard times and not being able to get a break from the situation feels so frustrating to me. This is the last straw, I really have to move on out of the Government to better things. It's no longer a matter of self-actualization and mental health, it's now become a matter of surviving.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for the past year would know that this has not been on my mind only recently, but has been for a long time. Before I even moved back to Sabah actually. It hasn't been an easy decision either. Lord knows how much I've bawled my eyes out, feeling torn and confused. I'm now accepting of the situation though, So, yeah, will be looking for job vacancies starting tonight and beyond. Keeping my fingers crossed...

When Minikins Join The Rat Race..

A friend of a friend's baby just turned a month old and I was invited to the Full Moon party in Penampang. Me and boo went with few others and when we arrived I was surprised to see so many women there who are new mothers. I don't know whether to salute them or shake my head in wonderment at their willingness to brave the heat with their poor little babies in tow. Anyway..

It is said that birds of a feather flock together so naturally women flock together and within those circles of women, the new mothers uh, flock even closer together. It all begins, of course, with one asking the other how old their baby is (soalan wajib tu). The conversation flowed freely and languidly between the new mothers and you can really see that they share a special bond.

 (I couldn't really join in too much as I myself am not a mother and no matter how many new mothers I've interviewed, no matter how much I watched the Discovery Home and Health channel or tune in to Oprah about child-raising, nothing beats the real deal. The lack of bond and conversation however, enabled me to be an observer and keen listener.)

You know how it is. One would tell what she worries that her daughter isn't getting enough nutrients because she refuses to eat rice porridge and if the other responded with something along the lines of,"Oh, gosh! I know how you feel. My little minikin wouldn't touch that stuff either until I started blending it with fruits and honey. Why don't you try it? I'll give you the recipe" they would become friends for life.

However, it turns out new mums do collide, especially when they start talking about their babies achievements. Oh, it starts innocently enough. One would maybe ask,"Can your baby sit yet?" and the other might reply, "No, she just started to turn over by herself and crawl a bit" The first mum would then say,"Oh, but she's 6 moths old isn't she? That's quite slow. My little minikin could turn over when she was 4 months old." And so on it goes..

And here I thought competitions are only reserved for grown-ups on who has the biggest car/house or better job/higher pay. Turns out the wee little minikins are joining the uh, 'rat' race too (on who learns to flip over/crawls/sits/stands/walks/speak sooner) albeit via their mothers.