Imotiv vs Bloglovin' App

Hello hello...

I have been using Imotiv since the day when it was still NuffnangX almost a year ago (or is it over a year ago?) While I loved the fact that I could read updates on the blogs I follow in one place, I still find it difficult to read all the updates because I follow a lot of blogs. I wished that I could separate the list into two. One for international beauty bloggers and the other for my local blogger friends.

Then about a week ago, I discovered Bloglovin' and I decided to follow my list of beauty blogs using it. Now I am officially hooked!! Here's why:

Your newsfeed only shows you posts that you have not read. You can also mark a post as 'read' if you want to skip reading a post that uninterests you and it will disappear from your feed. No more clutter on your feed!

At one touch of an icon (on the top left corner) you will see the total posts that you have not read. You will also see a list of the blogs you follow and the number of new updates each blog has. You can also search for other blogs to follow, change your settings and log out from that same menu. Talk about convenience.

In your feed there is also an icon on the top right corner that allows you to 'refresh' and 'mark all as read'.

When you are reading a post, this same icon gives you the option to 'like', 'visit blog', 'unfollow' and 'share'. It's so easy to use and fuss-free, I feel like crying tears of joy. Dramatic, I know but it is so refreshing not having to scroll down endlessly past post that disinterests me/I have already read like on Imotiv.

I wish that Imotiv would improve its app to be more clean and user-friendly. Also, recently Imotiv has kept jamming up and each time I back out of a post to go into it's main menu, it would exit completely. Bikin tinggi darah sy jak. Huff!

I hope you give the Bloglovin' app a try especially if you're an avid blog reader. Honestly, it will change your life! Oh, and don't forget to follow this humble blog while you're at it okay? Hehe.. Sempat lagi self-promote.

Thanks for reading this post. See you in the next one. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

Dainty Pearls: What is it?

Hello there..

How is your week so far? I hope that you are having a good one.

I will be doing a new series in this blog named 'Dainty Pearls'. You see, most of the time I would dedicate an entire post to a particular topic. However, there are instances when I like to write a little about a lot of random things such as a product that has caught my eye, an embarassing moment, etc in one post.

Hence the name 'Dainty Pearls'. 'Dainty' because each topic is short, sweet and bite-sized, 'Pearls' because although the topics are random, all of them are precious and significant to me. Also, the pearl is my birthstone.

Here are some of my pearls for this post:

1. Part of the pregnancy quirkiness is that I would just wash my face with cleanser and I am done. I don't use moisturiser, let alone serums and masks. Unfortunately, this habit carried on post delivery. For the past month however, I have made efforts to incorporate a basic 3-step skin care routine day and night. Now that I have made that into a habit, I decided to up the ante by adding a serum and eye cream into my skincare routine.

I used Hada Labo's Arbutin Whitening Essence on my freckles both day and night. During the day I would use Garnier's Light Brightening Eye Roll-On and at night, Origin's GinZing Eye Cream. So far so good. I am so proud if myself for taking steps towards self-improvement. After these items have become an integral part of my skincare, I aim to start wearing sunscreen everyday when I go out. Keeping my fingers crossed.



2. Now when I go to places such as Watson, I find myself getting a bit bored looking at makeup. Maybe it is because I don't have spare cash to buy and experiment with the new products jadi malas la mau tengo2. Huhu..

3. What I have been gravitating towards at Watson and other drugstores however are skincare. Yes, skincare. For some reason looking at all the new products invoked an excitement in me. I am currently eyeing Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash, Safi Balqis Perfect 10 Cleanser and Toner as well as whitening and anti-aging lines from a few other brands. Tengo la macam mana after I have finished the ones that I currently have in my beauty closet.

4. I have been loving Fox Channel programmes such as NCIS (which I once thought was boring), Medium, Castle and Criminal Minds. I have also started watching Ghost Whisperer on StarWorld and Client List on the Life Channel.

5. I have been such a Butter Fingered Klutz lately. I have broken so many things from my mum's phone casing to one of the window panes. Sigh!

6. Sophie is growing not only her 7th tooth but her 8th tooth as well! Kesian the wee little kitten. She has been going around as grumpy as a lion with a thorn in its paw. I wish I could do simething to relieve her discomfort. Any tips?

7. I have been reaching out for my Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Liner in Expresso Ink a lot lately. I feel that it gives my eyes definition without being too dramatic. I had stopped using it over a year ago because it had hardened a bit. I have never really found it in me to throw it away because it was my first gel liner. I am glad I kept it because aside from being a bit hard to work with, I am loving the effect it gives to my eyes.



8. Been playing with colourful makeup more than ever lately..



9. I have finally been able to open Sophie's ASB account after 3 failed attempts! Turns out if you open an account for your child at ASB itself, they will automatically open both ASB and ASN.



So this is all for the moment. Thank you for reading this post. Cheers!


Love,
Phy

A Hunk Of Pinky Minty Love

Hello there..

I have always loved pastel colors with pink being my fave of all time. However for reasons I can't phantom, the color minty green has caught my eye a number of times the past few days. It goes well with pink too! Check out these photos of food, decor and accessories that combine the two.

Nice right? What's your fave color combo?

Love,
Phy

P/S: All photos are courtesy of Google.

Chatting With You..

Hello there...

I think it has been a long time since I've done a post that does not start with any purpose whatsoever. You know, the type where I just start randomly and it flows to whatever that came into my mind in that given moment. This is going to be such post.

In case you're wondering why my posts no longer has much pictures in them, it's because I mostly take my pics using my phone instead of a camera and I am Instagram crazy. I think it is my kryptonite in terms of social media platforms. For one thing they have effects that makes photos look really nice and taking a photo with one's phone is much more discreet compared to an actual camera. If it is any consolation, you can actually see my Instagram photos on my blog's sidebar. It would be even better if you could follow me though. Hehe..

By the way, I am feeling a bit better after taking antibiotics for my Bronchitis. I will have to switch where I sleep though. Usually I sleep directly under the fan and that seems to make my chest hurt. I do wear a sweater to sleep last night so that my chest doesn't get cold.

This morning as I was having breakfast at Fook Yuen Gaya this man was smoking right behind me and I coughed so much because of his ciggie smoke. My lungs felt as if it was on fire. I truly felt like smacking him then and there. I know I could have said something. I could have expressed my rights with my fingers to my lips and wagging them at him *has anyone actually tried doing that to a smoker? Did it work? Do tell in the comments section below* but you know how people can be when you ask them to smoke elsewhere no matter how nicely you do it.

I do wish smokers would consider those around them before lighting up. DON't ask people if they mind you smoking. 99% would say they don't mind even if they do because they don't want to make you feel like a lowly creature for picking up the habit in the 1st place. Just ask them if they smoke. I they say they don't then don't light up. Simple. If you don't mind having lung cancer and all other diseases associated with smoking, then by all means puff away but please don't drag others with you. Okay?

I am pressed for time so this will be all for now. Do share with me what's on your mind and what is your favorite social media. Cheers!

Love,
Phoebe

Listeeeennnnnnn!!!

Hello hello...
Yes, yes, I am sorry but I just cannot resist jumping on the bandwagon of the 'listen/let me speak/animals have problems too' bandwagon. If you are clueless of what I am talking about, it's about Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, president of Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (otherwise known as SW1M) who talked down Miss Bawani (or is it Bavani?) K.S, a student of UUM during a forum held at the university. Here's the link to the video.

Anyways, this post is actually just to share some of my fave memes that had been created based on Sharifah's brilliant debating skills. Now keep in mind that I don't usually share memes unless they really crack me up and believe me these had me in stitches. Enjoy!

But the following 2 memes are my absolute faves:

Hope this made your day. Happy working peeps!

Love,
Phoebe

P/S: You can check out Malaysian Gags page on Facebook. There's more where these came from. (^^)v

Workaholic Much? Set Your Priorities Straight

Hi all,

When someone tells you they work until midnight every single night and there are times when they worked even though they are so sick they are practically half-dead, what is the first thing that crosses your mind? Do you think 'Whoa, this person is tough man' or 'Wow, a true blue workaholic' or 'Meh, ya la tu'. Does it impresses you or makes you pity that person?

There are reasons as to why there are 9 working hours in a day and why there is such a thing as medical leave or better known as MC. Tidak salah kerja lebih dari 9 jam but the big question is are you performing? Kalu ya bagus la,but don't expect everyone to be like you. Tidak salah keja walaupun sakit but again, are you performing to the best of your ability? What's the use of sitting at your desk but not being able to think coherently? It only increases the probability of you making mistakes. 

Okay lah, maybe certain people really do need to work long hours and keep on working even though they are sick, BUT I have enough experience to know that such people would not make such a big deal out of it but those who constantly moan about it, well go figure la. Tepuk dada tanya diri ya tuan2 dan puan2 sekalian.

Some people are so dedicated to their job that they tend to forget one most important thing. Do you know what it is? That no one is indispensable, especially in the corporate world. You sacrifice so much for a company, disregarding your family and your health and when the day comes when you are no longer able to perform because of health problems/you make a mistake and screwed up you can bet that you'd be booted out before you know what hit you. What's worse is that when that happens, belum tentu your family mo jaga ko sudah cause they hardly even know you.

Now, I am not being sour grapes because I don't stay back late or work even though I am green at the gills. No, no, no. Cuma priorities tu kalo boleh kena lah betul. Health is important. With good health you can work, when you can work you can get money. Macam juga bila ibu dan anak naik kapal terbang. In an emergency situation when the oxygen masks drop down from the compartments, who needs to wear the mask first? Secara kasar nampak macam mesti kasi pakai anak dulu tapi sebenarnya it is the mother who need to wear the mask first. Ya lah, kalau dia kasi pakai anak dia mask dulu tapi dia conk out gara2 tiada oxygen siapa lah mo urus anak dia? Useless juga kan? 

Moral of the story is set your priorities straight. God over people, family over outsiders, health over money. InsyaAllah. 

So tell me, do you personally know a workaholic?

Love,

Phoebe

Disclaimer: Isu yang dibincangkan di atas tiada kaitan dengan yang hidup mahupun yang sudah meninggal. Kalo ada yang sama pun perasaan ko jak tu. Sekian.

Weight Loss and Job Update..

Hello there..

As the title indicates, this post is going to be about my weight loss update, or rather, how I'm doing at achieving my weekly goals, etc., and my job update. My health-related goals were to drink up to 2L of water for the 1st week. I must say I kind of failed terribly. I think I just fulfilled that goal 3 days out of the 7 days of the week. If I didn't forget to drink water, I would be in a situation where it would be inconvenient for me to do so (long distance trip so want to avoid to many visits to the loo), etc.

For my 2nd week my goal was to reduce my non-water beverage to 2 cups a day on top of the 1st week goal. I had no trouble doing that and in the process has found my new 'best friend' that would help me with my 3rd week goal and that is to reduce my food consumption by a quarter (I know, funny. Haha..). I have been using this product for a week so I have kind of achieved my goal for this week since last week. That friend is...

Red Guara by DCL

I think some of you might already know this product. This is a drink that is used to reduce one's food intake by helping us to feel full sooner and for a longer time. I know what you guys are thinking. Si phy main buyuk! Guna produk untuk kawal makan. Weh, apa salahnya kan? It's not that I have any disillusion with this product. Like I said before, there is no one magic pill, drink, etc., that enables us to lose weight without diet or exercise because if there is, Oprah would have known about it by now and shared it as her favorite things.

Anyway, I find that this product really works but being an emotional over-eater, I did slip a time or two. Meaning I kept eating despite feeling full. Believe me I got my reward for that alright, with acid reflux or pedih ulu hati (I think) especially if I take a lot of buns or any flour-based or 'yeasty' foods. Its so not fun and not worth the pain. So you see, product like this can help you but you still need will power and make good food choices in order to really lose weight.

I haven't weighed myself yet so I am not sure if I have actually lost weight but I do feel that my clothes fit me slightly better. We'll see in a month.

As for my job, well today is my 3rd day on the job and I am already stressed. I have gone to see the GM for a redrafted programme review, barely learned to use Microsoft Outlook for internal email (and email etiquette on top of it) and Skype. I've written 2 articles, chosen photos for the articles and printed and reprinted what seemed like hundreds of changed programme copies. Its a bit hard for me because this is a detail oriented job whereas I am not a detail-oriented person.

A dot, comma or missing alphabet can result in wastage from reprinting. Sakit jiwa okay. Sayang bah tu kertas. Bila it is all because of me lagi jadi gitu terus tambah2 agi rasa stress. I wouldn't be surprised if one of these days I will get nightmares of alphabets, full stops and commas coming after me with pitchforks. I know, I cant really complain. After all, I did ask for this job right? I did want to break away from Finance right? I do want a bigger pay to improve Sophie's future right? I did want to learn something new right?

Missing Sophie is not helping either. I really need to focus on this job but I keep thinking about her, wondering what she is doing, if she is sleeping or eating well, looking at her photos and videos, etc. On top of all this I just found out that I lost my pendrive with all of my photos in it. I remember using it yesterday and taking it out of the USB Port. I think I did put it in my bag but this morning I couldn't find it. I just hope that it got misplaced in the car or at home and not here at the hotel. While I don't have anything incriminating on it, I certainly don't want it to fall into the hands of irresponsible people. I can't wait to go back home and look for it.

Oh well, I guess this is all for now. Thanks for reading..

Love,

Phoebe.  

P/S: I am in no way or form affiliated with DCL. I bought this product with my own money and my comments on it are fully my own from my experience.

Ramblings Of A Bored Phy...

Hi there..
Sy benci la, bila sy ada idea mo blog, tiada pula masa sy mo type. Maka sudah reka2 ayat fantastic, witty and funny (blearrrgghh..) lg tu in my head. Siap dengan tajuk yang menarik lagi. By the time sya ada masa sudah mo type sy tiatau sudah apa topic sy yang sy mo cerita awal tadi. Mulau betul. Apakan daya, otak sy sudah kena culik alien. Serious cepat lupa sekarang ni. Susah hati sy tau..

As I was saying, sekarang ni sy menaip, sebenarnya sy tiatau apa mo cerita tapi sy mo type juga sebab lama nda update blog. Hm, cerita sikit pasal si Sophia la. (Cue groans and click 'x' button. Lol. What to do la, kawan kamu si Phy ni sudah jadi a besotted parent like any other). Nda bah, sy mo meluah sikit baini pasal betapa cepatnya si Sophie ni tiba2 membesar. Sy rasa macam dia mencapai milestones dia bertubi2 ni. Mula2 sy rasa lambat tau. Especially waktu dia baru mo belajar tiarap. It took her 2 weeks to a month ni to achieve flipping on her tummy. Sempat lagi sy susah hati (hobby seorang ibu), bulih kah si Sophie tiarap ni? Macam payah betul.

Sekali sekarang pula bukan saja dia sudah pandai duduk and merangkak, after only a week of achieving these 2 things, she moves on to trying to stand pula. Adoi, baby don't grow so fast! Dia pandai sudah gigit2, grasp barang, show emotion and preference, etc. She also recognises people. The only thing yang sy rasa ada lambat sikit is tumbuh gigi. When I was a baby my teeth started to pop out at 5 months. Tapi tiapa lah juga sebab sensara bah baby (and parent(s)) bila diorang tumbuh gigi. Demam, diarrhea, lack of appetite, grumpy, etc. Imagine having to go throught that about 28 times (milk teeth 28 batang bah kan? Correct me if I'm wrong. Malas mo Google. Lol..). Pingsan kah tidak?

Okay, apa lagi mo cerita? Pasal kerja la.. Sy boring ohhh (whiny tone) buat keja finance ni. Sy bosan sudah tengo figures, package size, tengo PO, berurusan dengan orang yang babal lagi membabalkan, etc. Bukan mo cakap dalam keja finance jak ada orang babal, keja lain pun ada juga. Sigh.. Sy mo bah try keja lain. Part of me takut juga cause I have only ever worked in finance kan tapi that's is the very reason why I should try something new. So that I won't be rooted to only one field. To be honest belum lagi sy master everything in Finance. Jauh panggang dari api. Tapi sy boring sudah. Betul2 boring. There is something comforting about doing something that you are familiar with but it so.. Entah la.. Bosan la bah..

Sy tengo calendar sy and planning2 sudah bila sy mo cuti apa suma, does that mean that I am unconciously prepared to stay here at MGH for a while yet? Maybe la kan. I do have an idea though. Why not try to apply at travel agencies? I can still be in the tourism industry but with a different twist kan? Pick a big International travel agency, learn a new language and go to the country of the language I learnt. Korea maybe? Not impossible, aye?

Ada 4 hari lagi mo tunggu sebelum gaji. Sigh. Kenapa lah sy keja sama company dari China? Orang lain gaji kamarin lagi. Jeles tau tau tau tau... Sejak kebelakangan ni sy teringat2 juga masa sy keja Kerajaan dulu. Sy paling rindu di Puterajaya. Keja okay, gaji okay, colleagues okay, rumah and housemate pun okay. Just nice I think. Walaupun tinggal di Puterajaya kadang2 macam tinggal dalam fishbowl, tapi a least Alamanda ada. Bulih juga tengo wayang. Am I regretting my decision to leave the Government? Yes and no. I miss the things I said above but I don't miss the work nor the culture. I still think I didn't learn as much things or as fast as I am doing now in the private sector. Apa boleh buat, we can't have our cake and eat it to can we?

 Bah, okay lah. My lunch hour is nearly over. Need to get back to work (urgh!). Have a nice day. Cheers!


Love,
Phoebe

Random Update..

Hello there..
How are you guys? For my Muslim readers, how has your Ramadhan been so far? Mine has been wrought with challenges especially with my health. I had a few gastric attacks and have a lot of wind in my tummy which gets worst when I fast. Sigh. I hope your Ramadhan has been better than mine.

I have been pretty busy with work the past week. Covering for my boss who went on leave for 2 days didn't help. New unofficial rules imposed made it even worse. My workplace did give us Muslim staff permission to go back at 4.30PM though so that is definitely a bonus. After work I would go to shopping complexes and browse through Watsons, swatching makeup that I have been lusting over for some time. Hehe..

I noticed that Sophie has started to grip things more now. On the 26th July she started to grab my hair and my is her grip strong! I have to keep untangling her fingers out of my hair. Sometimes she would hold on even tighter, as if my hair was a lifeline. Ouch for her mama.. Huhu.. Yesterday (1st August) she managed to turn 360 degrees! Yay! All this while she has only been able to flip on to her tummy. Now she could lie flat on her back again by turning in the same direction if you know what I mean.

My pay came in two days ago. As usual, I only get to touch my pay for a few seconds when I withdraw it then deposit it into the cash deposit machine next to the ATM to pay off my loans and credit card. Sigh! I guess I shouldn't complain too much.  A lot of people are on the same boat as I am anyway I'm sure... ^^

Well I guess this is all for now dear readers. I'm sorry that I haven't been updating much all this while. I will try my best to make an entry every week, insyaAllah..

Love,
Phoebe

Long Time No See...

Hello peeps..
Long time no see... I have been on a 1 week hiatus because I went back to my hometown during that time and despite having more time on my hands to laze about *cause Sophie was being fully dotted on by my mom* the line was just too crappy for me to post anything.

Anyway, in case you didn't know I have a beauty blog that has been lying dormant for some time. I want to start doing some beauty related post again and need your opinion on whether I should shut down my beauty blog and do beauty post here on this blog or continue to maintain both blogs? Your feed back is most appreciated.  ^^

Oh, some Sophie updates. She has now 'found' her voice and is gurgling and babbling all day. It's so funny and cute to see her babbling at her fist and everything she sees. Sometimes I feel like she is trying to talk to me. Sophie is starting to suck her fingers too. I read that it's normal and shouldn't be stopped because it's a way for babies to self soothe themselves. I am still unsure of whether to let that habit be or curb it.

She is also smiling so much now. She's such a cheerful little thing. Except when she's hungry or is startled that is. That's when her Dragon side starts roaring. Hopefully those powerful vocal chords of hers will be a blessing to her one day. InsyaAllah, Amin.. Hehe..

Last but not least, Sophie has now become a jie jie (big sister)! No,no, no.. I haven't had another child but my cousin did. Welcome to the world baby Atheliya Zilli (sy eja hentam2 jak ni okay, karang sy kasi betul bila sy sudah tau spelling sebenar.. Hehe..) She's such a little thing. Looking at Atheliya made me miss Sophie when she was a new born BUT at the same time I am glad that Sophie has grown and is stronger now with a few milestones under her little belt. Does that make any sense? Hehe..

That's all for now. Have a great start to your week peeps! ^^

Love,
Phoebe

Tu Lah, Len Kali Menipu Lagi..

Hello hello..
Harap kamurang suma sihat. Yang nda sihat tu, get well soon okay.
Untuk pengetahuan kamu, kawan kamu si Phy ni adalah insan yang pelupa bila masuk bab2 makan ubat. Paling useless la orang bilang. Kalo Dr cakap makan 1 bijik ubat 4 kali sehari, hari pertama jak sy berusaha dengan gigih untuk makan ubat on time. In 3 days time makan 4 bijik ubat sekali sehari la jadinya. Memang teruk.

Untuk dijadikan cerita, waktu sy dalam pantang dulu, sy lambat makan ubat cina yang bikin pecah darah dan buang angin sebab nurse di KKIA larang makan ubat2 macam tu. Kononnya, bikin tambah tinggi sakit Jaundice baby. Apa lagi, beta pun gumbira juga lah sikit sebab beta kan paling lembap when it comes to taking meds kan. Sudah la kena makan hari2 for 30 days. Adoi... Confirm 100 hari baru habis.

Selepas anak yg genap 1 bulan, sy pindah. Daripada 3 jenis ubat cina tu, 1 jenis tu sy belum buka pun cuma sy tau, ubat ni bersalut lilin. Mummy sy pernah cerita,dulu pantang dia simple jak. Ubat yang dia makan pun yg jenis berlilin. Oleh sebab sy berniat untuk makan ubat tu bila sy sampai at my new place, I asked her how did she ate her pills (the one yang ada lilin), and she said that she just chewed it.

A month later my mummy asked me, have I taken the Chinese meds? Not wanting to be scolded I decided to tell a white lie and said yes. I felt bad and 2 weeks later *yes, it took me that long, even while feeling guilty.. sigh!* which was a week ago, I decided to finally take the Chinese pills.

The pills.. 

 10 pills per box, individually packed in boxes..

Wax..

As you can see in the 3rd picture above the pills are enveloped in a ball of wax. I felt unsure on how to take it. Do I really want to chew it like my mum did? Do I want swallow it with water? But then it's huge! wanted to ask my mum again but how can I when I've told her I had started taking them? Huhuhu... *Ah, the consequences of lying*. I decided to try and chew it and tentatively bit into it but found that it's hard. 

Bite marks.. Haha...

Then I had this idea of cutting it up into segments then swallowing the sections with water. However when I tried to cut it up, it suddenly split..

Laaaaa.....!!!! Rupanyaaa...!!!

Slightly larger than the other 2 types of pills...

Bahahaha... Speechless.. That's what you get when we tell little white lies. They come back to haunt us and bite us in the behind when we least expect it. Padan muka kan? Len kali menipu lagi.. Huhu.. Moral of the story? Honesty is the best policy!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog.

Love,

Phoebe..

Ndamau Keluar Rumah Sudah La...

Hello,

Petang tadi waktu melayan permata pujaan hatiku Sophia nangis sampai ndak keluar suara (cranky, mungkin dia rasa nda sedap badan lepas kena jarum) terdengar bunyi kecoh di rumah sebelah. Suara perempuan dewasa teriak2, lepas tu hempas2 barang dan suara dua budak nangis2 sambil panggil "Ibu!" balik2. Boleh dengar ni apa yang dorang cakap. *Bukan sengaja sy mendengar gia, suara dorang tu yang kuat betul. Lebih kuat dari si Sophia teriak lepas sudah menggandakan kuasa Boboboi dia untuk tarik nafas*. 

Terdiam sy sekejap. Terbayang pula segala2 drama Melayu yang sy pernah tengo dari darjah 4 sampai tingkatan 3 *belum ada Astro lagi daa masa tu*. Berpikir juga ni, apa kes? Anak2 dia tu meraung2 "Ibu!" sebab mama durang merajuk jak atau sebab mama dorang pengsan-sebab-terlampau-marah-bila-bawa-pigi-hospital-baru-tau-ada-penyakit-yang-susah-mau-kasi-ubat-lepas-tu-anak2-dia-menyesal-lawan-cakap-dia? Sorry, bukan menyumpah, tapi ter-imagine sebab mama dorang tiba2 senyap.

Last2 redah juga lah dorang. Baru ja sy mo hembus nafas lega, tiba2 sedar something. Rupanya kalo cakap kuat sikit pun jiran satu blok blh dengar pula. Oh noooooo!!! Menyesal, menyesal seribu kali dua bahagi empat campur lima! Kenapa? Sebab kawan kamu si Phy ni suka menyanyi. Kalau suara macam Mariah Carey tu ndapa juga tapi ni lebih kepada Maria Si Penjual Kari. 

Adoooiiii.. Apa punya soi daaaa... Sudah lah kawan kamu si Phy ni kuat berimaginasi. Siap terbayang nyanyi lagu Enya di Caesars Palace, lagu Adele di Royal Albert Hall, etc. Hm, memang padan la. Entah2 hari2 sy kena maki jiran ni sebab malar jak buat konsert nda berbayar. Punya la hai bikin malu. Nda mau keluar rumah sudah la sy. Kalo ya pun keluar rumah dan terserempak ma jiran, sy tunduk gaya alaf Bawang Merah Bawang Putih jak la. 

Hangers

Hello there,
I hate hangers. Okay, maybe I shouldn't use such a strong word on something that is helping me dry my laundry but seriously I find them extremely annoying.

First of all they are always getting caught up with each other. When you try to pull one out, either it won't budge or a whole bunch would fall out. The best part is, it always does this when you are in a hurry or when your hands-are-full-but-you-need-just-one-more-hanger-so-you-try-getting-it-with-your-teeth.

Darn it..

This has lead me to wishing that I am living in a house with a compound so that I could have a clothes line to to hang my laundry properly instead of in an apartment where I have to rely on hangers to ensure that my laundry wouldn't have to lie crumpled in a wet heap too long. Sigh! 

Am in a petty mood, can you tell?

Love,

Phoebe

P/S: Follow me on Twitter and Instagram (Phoebe_Sophie for both accounts) and visit my Tumblr (just-me-bie.tumblr.com)

When You're No Longer Serving The Government..

Hello peeps..
Sorry for the long hiatus. Had a lot on my mind and I don't seem to have anything to say.. Until now, obviously. As you know I am no longer serving the Malaysian Government and I noticed a difference between when I was and now. This is just one of them:

Here's what happens when I was serving the Government
*Lady Gaga ringtone*
Me: Hello?
Caller: Hello, boleh sy bercakap dgn Puan Prisilia *tongue twisting*?
Me: Ya, saya *disgruntled that my name was mangled beyond repair*
Caller: Sy Hanis *not her real name*, memanggil dari Blah Blah Blah *also not the financial institution's real name*. Syarikat kami mempunyai promosi bagi pembiayaan peribadi.. *yap yap yap so long and so fast that I can't get a word edge-wise and stop her so let her talk herself to the ground while I browse through Watson and grunt in response in the right places*

10 minutes later *if I'm lucky*...

Caller: Adakah Puan Prisilia berminat untuk menyertai promosi kami?
Me: *Gritting my teeth at my grossly mispronounced name* Uh tidak, terima kasih. Ada sudah.
Caller: Adakah Puan pasti?
Me: Iya.
Caller: Okay, terima kasih..
Me: Sama2.


Here's what happens when I'm NO LONGER serving the Government
*Lady Gaga ringtone*

Me: Hello?
Caller: Hello, boleh sy bercakap dgn Puan Prisilisia *tongue twisting*?
Me: Ya, saya *what on earth is wrong with these people?!*
Caller: Sy Liyana *not her real name*, memanggil dari Piu Piu Piu *also not the financial institution's real name*. Syarikat kami mempunyai promosi bagi pembiayaan peribadi.. *yap yap yap so I let her talk herself to the ground while I browse through Nichii and grunt in response in the right places*

30 minutes later *I was unlucky*...

Caller: Adakah Puan Prisilisia berminat untuk menyertai promosi kami?
Me: Tidak, sy sudah tidak berkhidmat dengan Kerajaan.
Caller: *Long pause*...  Apaaaa???
Me: Uh, sy tidak kerja Government sudah jadi sy tidak... *not finished talking*
Caller: *Hang up tone*


Errr.. Riiiggghhhhttt... So yeah, I am no longer a desired future client within the personal loan circle of financial institutions. Hahaha... I still get calls from poor, unsuspecting souls trying to ply me into participating into their so-called personal loan promotion but instead of wasting their time and most importantly, my time, I would just cut them off and say that I am no longer a Government Servant. They couldn't hang up fast enough. Seriously. If they were physically in front of me, I'm sure they'd leave skid marks trying to get away from me ASAP. Hihihi...

 So yeah, this is all for now peeps. Wassalam.

Love,
Phoebe

Do You Believe In Horoscopes?

Hello peeps..
Yes, yes, long time no see. I'm so sorry *Sob sob* (TT). It's just that the Internet has been really slow lately and I've missed my weekly indulgence at the cc due to being unwell and lack of transport. Story of my life.

Anyway since the Year of the Water Dragon came around, there has been a kind of frenzy surrounding it. This year is said to be a good and prosperous one and it seemed that wedding venues and hospitals are being booked to the max in China for weddings and childbirth. *Don't take my word for it though because I heard this from a friend* 

All these predictions of good prosperity and health has made me think about horoscopes and how it can affect people *such as making couples working hard at making babies. The men are surely smiling from ear to ear from now until the month of March 2012*.

Are you the type of person who religiously believes in, pores over your Lilian Too Feng Shui handbook/English horoscope manual and let it dictate every move you make? *"Oh, sorry my love but I can't go on a date with you tonight. My Venus is tip-toeing over the Milky Way and it's bad luck for me to be around people for the next 12 hours"* Or are you a disbeliever who thinks that horoscopes are a waste of time and that anyone who believes in it is a fool and a half?

For me personally, I like to think myself as being in the middle. This is simply because I feel that there are uncanny truths about the characteristics of my sign (I'm a Cancer and Tiger by the way) and some predictions can be spot-on. I am guilty of reading my horoscope at the back portion of my magazines and there are still times when I compare my sign with my crush's *Oh, Horatio Caine!* or a significant other's. Juvenile, I know. *Stop giggling, you do it too and you know it* (^^)

I always take the good *"Yay, it says that money will come rolling starting in March!"* or the coincidences *"No wonder I'm in a bad mood the past few days, it's written in the stars!"* and reject the bad *"What, it says that I will lose money in an investment? Pish posh! This is cr*p"*. I don't let it control my life though. Or at least I try not to let it. Seriously.

I do feel that horoscopes can help give people hope in their lives, especially Chinese Horoscopes with it's yearly (instead of monthly) forecasts. It enables people to have something to look forward to. As long as it's not supposed to be your bad year that is.

So regardless of whether you are a hard-core believer of horoscopes, an equally hard-core disbeliever, or even a neutral person like yours truly *cough*, I wish you all Gong Xi Fa Chai and cheers to a prosperous year ahead. Wassalam.

Lots of Love,
Phoebe

Phy Is So Excited She's Jumping Off The Roof (Well, Almost)

Hellooooooo.... Hellooooo... Helloooo....

Forgive me for my most jakun greeting ever. I've been away for soooooo loooonnnggg... All this while while I was at home at my parent's house being a parasite (sorry mum, dad) I've never been able to find a spot in the house where my HTC phone's wireless feature could function and now I've found iiiiitttt!!! Believe me when I say that I feel like I've found the Fountain Of Youth. Seriously!

For all that that excitement you'd think that I have exciting news but nothing really special has occurred really aside from the above. There are a few updates though, such as:

I've called JPA and they said that they have forwarded my resignation back to IPDT for further processing (turns out all the trouble went to get my resignation to JPA was just for their notification.. Cheh!). Good news is that on JPA's side there are no hiccups. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and no more idiots will be creating problems for me..

Second I have caught the Manga reading fever. Obviously I'm not the type to read about Naruto but I've read the romantic ones (duh!). So far I've read Monster Love and am currently reading Black Bird 36.So far so good. Now with the Internet line from my beloved HTC phone I would be able to continue my progress with Black Bird 36. Take my word for it, all of the stories that I've read so far are cheesy, corny and may insult your intelligence but hey, it's fun and oh so addictive.. Hehe..

That's all for now dear readers.. Have a nice weekend. Cheers! Wassalam..

October Update

Hello all...
I've been staying at my parent's house in my hometown for the past month hence the long hiatus because there is no Internet connection there. Again, during my stay there I had so much to write about but now have forgotten. Can you tell that this is going to be one of those rambly posts of mine? Hehehe... So here are some brief updates:

I am still jobless. My resignation had a snag that has hopefully been cleared up. Last I checked it is already on it's way to JPA. IPK people are rude and I hope never to have anything to do with them in the future (I hope but I know that I will because I have to pay back about two months salary that they have given me post resignation).

I went back to my hometown to settle a very important business. It looks like it has been settled but unfortunately there seemed to be some disagreements on their side so I will just wait and see if there will be any changes. I'm not holding my breath though. I'm now assuming that what has been decided is already signed and sealed, only left to be delivered within the 1st week of next month.

I have been an emotional wreck and discovered that sometimes you can feel alone even when there are dozens of people around you everyday. I also found out that it is possible to be absolutely okay one second only to be a complete sobbing mess the next. Even existing can seem like a monumental task when you are in a hopeless void.

I am currently in KL to bring back all my stuff back to KK but I am so worried because I have zero energy and my hands can't seem to grip properly. How on earth am I going to lug all my things back? Looks like I'm going to have to leave quite a lot of things here or post it.

So this is all for now peeps. Happy Deepavali to those celebrating. Wassalam..

Phy the Pre-School Teacher (Well, Not Anymore)

Hi there,
During my time here in KL I had no idea how long I was going to stay so I decided to fill my free time with working as a pre-kindy which is only a lift ride away from my sister's apartment. It was kind of like a suicidal project because I never, and I mean NEVER had any experience in taking care of children. I am the youngest in my family and never took care of my younger cousins or anything like that.

During my 2 week stint I learned how to change a diaper, bring kids to the toilet (and clean them) when they want to 'shishi', coax kids into eating their veges and eating in the proper manner, bathe them (which believe me, is kind of  like bathing a pet cat or dog. Meaning you end up bathing too... With your clothes on). I got to know the kids, their temperament and how to handle them as individuals. I also teach them, fill their time with activities, etc.

Sounds easy right? Wrong!

I can handle the first portion of the job. It's only a matter of practice after all. Teaching them and maintaining their interest while trying to sync with their individual personalities was a total FAIL for me. Some were very attentive and interested to learn, others were easily (read: understatement) distracted. Of course there were those who wouldn't listen and becomes a bad influence to others. Oh, did I mention that I had to keep my eye on a 1 year old baby at the same time too?

Communicating was also a problem because my kids were international. I had Koreans, Indonesians, Malays, Chinese kids in my class. Most of them don't understand the English language, let alone Malay.

 Trying to get the pirate-ish kids to participate..

Believe me, reading to pre-kindy kids is never this serene.

 Them being spoiled little rich kids didn't help either. It's hard to teach them something that their parents don't instill in them in the 1st place. Some of the parents or family members would also do the 'security rounds' as I personally call them. I'd see them peeking through our windows, looking to see if we were doing our job well and up to their expectation. Which means we have to be super careful when we scold the children which we can never avoid.

Eventually I let go of the job. Some people might call me flighty, or even a quitter. After all, I did resigned from two different jobs in the span of 6 weeks. I don't see it that way at all. Before I resigned I did all that I could to see if there was any way, any way at all that it could work out for me. When I didn't see any way that could happen, I decided to not waste my time. After all, life is short and it would be a shame not to use it to do something more productive.

So that's what happened and how my teaching career came to a halt. I was glad that I did it because now I wouldn't be like a deer caught in the headlights in the event that I would have to bathe, feed or change a toddler's diaper. I am also able to rule out pre-kindy teacher from my list of potential careers.

So this is all for now. Cheers and wassalam.

Disappearing Act..

Hi y'all..

It has been such a long time since I had updated my blog and there are a lot of reasons behind it. During the past 2 weeks me and my sisters have been going out shopping and sightseeing all day and returning home at 10.30pm EVERY NIGHT (I kid you not) with only (read: barely) enough energy to bathe and prepare for bed (wash ze face, brush ze teeth, etc). So I'm sure you can understand when I say that I have had no time or energy to do any updates.

I have been wanting to do a haul post on my other blog which is phoebe-loves-makeup.blogspot.com showing all the things that I got but again, I had no time. Sorry peeps.

However, I'm sure you have noticed that my lack of post had started from early August 2011. There are reasons for that too. I have had to make really hard decisions this month. I have never felt more pressured and helpless in my life. I had to make a decision about my career, I had to make a decision about my relationship and above all something happened in my personal life that just threw me out of balance.

In fact it is so HUGE that I would actually call it a crisis. Not just an argument-with-a-close-friend type of crisis either. Ah dear readers, I wish that I could tell you but I can't at the moment. Not until the people that matters the most know. Shopping and sightseeing as I may have been doing, I couldn't escape the thoughts that have made me unable to sleep at night. They run like a 1000m/h in my head (or so it seems).  

In time I will tell you. Or maybe I might not announce it officially but will refer to it in passing. All I can say for now is that there is a lot riding on this and a lot of decision to be made within it. On top of it all whatever decision that I make will have an impact on the people around me. Sigh!

I'm off to have dinner with my sisters and we are going for Japanese food this time. Yay! The past few days have been noodles, pizzas and pastas all the way up to a point that I had to put my foot down and demanded for Japanese food (Yeah, the choice for tonight's type of food is my doing. Hehe...). Sepa tahan oh tiap2 hari makan Western. As much as I love cheese, I have found myself to gag at the sight of it as of now. Cheese overdose. Huhu...

Okay, so this is all for now peeps. More updates soon, InsyaAllah. Have a great weekend. Cheers!

The Most Annoying People During Ramadhan: According To Phy

Hello peeps,
The month of Ramadhan is here again and before I start bashing I would like to express my gratitude to Allah SWT for allowing me to experience my 7th Ramadhan as a Muslim. May we all enjoy Allah's Blessings and reap the benefits of this month's "Pahala Bonanza" for our time in the after life.

Now let's get back to the topic on hand. I don't know about you, but as much as I love the month of Ramadhan for all its Barakah and all that comes with it, there are certain things that SOME people do that just irks me. Among them are:

The Resenters
I might get a lot of hate for this but hey, bring it on! Seriously, I find this the number one thing that annoys me. I've seen Muslims glaring and bad-mouthing those eating a few tables away. Some even reprimand their non-Muslim friends for eating in front of them.

Hey, I'm a Muslim too. I know how it feels like to fast. The last half an hour is the hardest part and to see people eating at that time when there is food ready in front of you is just pure torture. Do remember though that they have the right to eat wherever and whenever they choose. For me, if you can't resist then save the Diva attitude and go live in a cave.. Or cook at home AND eat at home for breaking fast.


The Judges
These kind of people would see a Muslimah buying food or eating food during the day and immediately judge her as a person who skipped fasting on purpose.

Sometimes I wonder if these people slept their way through Fardhu Ain classes all throughout their school years because if they should know anything, it is that women have "special privileges" when it comes to fasting. They might be having their menstruation, are pregnant or breast-feeding, all of which allows them to be exempt BUT are required to replace before the next Ramadhan comes again.

If it's just mere teasing then I understand but this is full-on judging, sometimes without words (They use 'The Stare' method). More than that (Surprise! Surprise!) other Muslimahs does it too. They throw sidelong weird glances at those who buy food in public. What is that about? You'd think that they are the ones who would have better sense and be more understanding. Sheesh!

The Self-Righteous
This is an extension of the above. I know a lot of people who act like it's their right to know why you are not fasting. Worse of all they can be very rude and intrusive too with their questions.

"Bocor kah adek? Ataupun buat2 bocor jak?"

Ladies, never feel that you need to give explanation to such people. Yeah, you don't want them to think badly of you but if they are nice people and worth the concern, they wouldn't and shouldn't be quick in assuming the worst about you anyways.


The Not-So-Bright Detectives
This is yet ANOTHER extension of the one previous to the above but with no serious malicious intent. "Uh, tak puasa kah adek?" they would ask when they see you carrying food or a bottle of water. Uh, sure I am fasting. I'm just using this water as a mouth wash you see, and the food for cleaning my teeth.

Like, are you for real?

Sometimes I feel like saying yes, I am fasting while immediately biting into my food just to see the look on their faces. Not that I've ever done it before. Just an idea.. A really tempting one. Sigh!

Seasonal OKUs
Ah, my fave kind of people. They would go around doing their thing 10 times slower, complain all the way and every time you ask them to do something they refuse because they are fasting. Suddenly they are disabled. Can't walk to the door to close it, can't go to the next room to get documents, etc.

"Penatlah!"

"Panas lah!"

"Mengantuk lah!"

"Ish, time2 puasa macam ni la mau suruh orang buat benda tu"

Sikap sedemikian sangat ditegah dan dilarang dalam Islam tau. Allah SWT tidak suka. We are to go about doing our usual activities without complaint. Only then will we be able to reap the full benefits of fasting.

The Exhibitionist
This one is almost the same as the above. The difference is that they don't complain too much but really, really show that they are fasting. They would have their long face on, talk about the good deeds that they do because of the month of Ramadhan and end almost every other sentence with "Ya lah, bulan Ramadhan kan. Jadi kena la buat baik,"

Habis, kalo bukan bulan puasa boleh jadi hantu balik la perangai tu? Heraaaaannnnn....


Actually there are more but maybe I'll save them for the next post. Haha... Cheers peeps..