Being Thankful: Day 40

I'm thankful for:

1. having people around me respond to my need without me having to ask.
2. yummy breakfast at KFC!
3. making it in time for our flight, despite the jam, the bush fire, the confusion.
4. our reservation honored although we had arrived way past their closing hour.

Being Thankful: Day 39

I'm thankful for:

1. getting things done!
2. the excitement which has started.
3. unsought for help.
4. it being Thursday!

Being Thankful: Day 38

I'm thankful for:

1. meeting an easygoing person in the seminar today - meal buddies and all.
2. having some answers to my questions on CLBGs... oh gosh, this confirms we assumed wrong.
3. observing good and bad public speakers. I know I'm supposed to be focusing on the content, but it is very apparent who were the better ones and the tai-chi master ones and the scatter brain ones. Somehow or another, lawyers always end up the better speakers. How I wish I could cultivate such public speaking skills.
4. achieving my to-do list today.
5. time of fellowship - will try to build relationships and overlook the past.

Being Thankful: Day 37

I'm thankful for:

1. a weird start to the day - I reached the carpark about half an hour early. Had a craving for nasi lemak spurred by the road side stall I always see on the way to the carpark. So I parked at the corner nearest to the shops, walked to the nearest Malay restaurant to find a substitute nasi lemak, but they didn't have those nasi lemak bungkus. So I walked around the shoplots area and still no sign of nasi lemak. Ended up walking back to the front to buy a small pack of nasi lemak and walked an entire circle back to my car to repark it nearer the exit. My morning exercise was well worth the calories intake.
2. finally getting down to buying the replacement phone for mum. A little tinge of envy as mine mysteriously kept crashing and shutting down... and still is. Probably time for a recharge. But what an experience it was buying from that phone shop - so many people on a mid-weeknight! I think this will be our go to shop if we do need a phone in the future - good price for original phones.

No guilt about the caloric intake. The sambal really blew my mind (spicy giler)

Random Thought

So yesterday as I was driving to work, the morning BFM radio was on and one of the topics discussed was about some meet-and-greet session that Tun Mahathir and YB Khairy Jamaluddin had with some Malaysian students in London (I can't recall the details). So they had a live teleconversation with one of the students who had attended this event. A second year law student. The conversation went something like this (paraphrased of course, I don't have an elephant memory...):-

BFM: What do you think about YB Khairy?
Law student: I think the young people can identify with him due to his young age, where the age gap is not so large.
(silence... waiting game)
me (in my head): *cricket chirping* crk crk... crk crk
BFM: (asked next question... laadeedah can't recall the other parts of the conversation)
.
.
.
BFM: Which part of YB Khairy's message did you feel that you could connect/identify with?
Law student: He spent time connecting with us and stayed back to take many selfies with us...
BFM: I'm sorry, did you just say selfies?
me (in my head): O-K-!

Yeah, so... it's interesting! Young people. (shakes head)

Being Thankful: Day 36

I'm thankful for:

1. not having fever at work. I think.
2. my antibodies. My Ig. They're fighting back and winning. I think.
3. that humbling experience where microscopic bacteria have caused a realisation that things will not be great all the time.
4. BSF starting again! I need to know You more and I'm sorry I have diluted my fire for You.
5. that awkward solitary laugh moment when I recalled the other day a lady cough-farted next to me at the Celcom Blue Cube! Controlling my facial muscle spasms was soooooooo difficult.
6. another few more days to our random plans!
7. being able to remind myself to be practical. Go with the head, not the heart.

Being Thankful: Day 35

I'm thankful for:

1. a break from wallowing in body discomforts.
2. the amount of sleep.
3. the catching up.

Being Thankful: Day 34

I'm thankful for:

1. waking up and getting used to forgetting the corrugated cardboard in my throat.
2. being contacted by my BSF leader!
3. shopping for a phone.
4. the rain.

Being Thankful: Day 33

I'm thankful for:

1. not getting angry although this feels so shitty. Tomorrow will be worse. Hope not.
2. it being the end of the week! I'm done with the drama. First time having so many people oppose my minutes - but I wrote what I heard over the recording! And this is why I am thankful I'm not the Company Secretary.
3. getting closer to our plans. 
4. which also means, getting closer to my deadline. I need to just try one more time (or a couple more times if I fail). No room for what ifs. Just jump (if I get a chance).

Being Thankful: Day 32

I'm thankful for:

1. surviving today... when attacks seemed to be coming at all directions simultaneously.
2. some talkie talkie time with family.
3. being able to answer questions.

Being Thankful: Day 31

I'm thankful for:

1. People who say yes to my last minute dinner requests! Ah what gems of friends I have.
2. Finally finishing the minutes - 39 pages like a weight lifted off my shoulders.
3. Always learning something new (although trivial or KPC-worthy) from board meetings.
4. Being able to multitask.
5. Having the chance to watch the "half naked man movie" and well... everyone dies! haha good laugh.

Being Thankful: Day 30

I'm thankful for:

1. Friends and food
2. Sedap mata memandang
3. Writing more than 10 pages
4. Realising fun times are approaching... fast!
5. Busy busy busy is better than an idle mind

Being Thankful: Day 29

I'm thankful for:

1. Getting into the writing mood - minutes time!
2. An unfortunate event but remedial actions has been going smoothly.
3. My iPod nano. Music motivates. Music heals. Music keeps me awake!

Being Thankful: Day 28

I'm thankful for:

1. last minute plans materialising.
2. Sunday parking.
3. having the control to not give in. Let's heal faster and not open up the wound again. :)

Being Thankful: Day 27

I'm thankful for:

1. Not acting rashly, though it would seem the apt thing to do at that time.
2. Reality check. I get it - for the thousandth time. Heart, please listen to your head! This is pure silliness! Be gone, tormentor! XP
3. People that I can trust and rely on. Cherish those who have endured tests and came out still being your friend.

Nexus Temptation

Looks like I've been hit by the tech cycle itch again and this time my craving is for the Google Nexus 5 android phone. There've been many wonderful phones in the market, like the Samsung S4, Note 3, Sony Xperia Z1, HTC One, Apple iPhone 5 etc... but they were either too popular (to the point that it has become generic), too angular, too plasticky, too expensive... and the list goes on.

Again I will admit that I may care more about the design than what's under the hood. However, it wouldn't hurt if the tech specs were great - that would  be another plus point!

The simple but beautiful Nexus 5 (white version). Image credit from Google search

Being Thankful: Day 26

I'm thankful for:

1. funny antics that totally crack me up! Some people just have that comedic element in every move they make. I wonder whether I too, have a peculiar quirk which is unmistakably me... maybe not!
2. much laughter on the last day of Lunar New Year.
3. instant messaging via mobile, which enabled me to catch up with a number of close friends tonight who are currently abroad.
4. ACS meeting cancelled thanks to the after effects of a certain quarantine exercise.
5. my leave approved!
6. reconciliation.
7. weird conversations on Valentine's Day.

No dragon dance this year, so the box dragon danced for us with his belly filled with chocolate gold coins!

Being Thankful: Day 25

I'm thankful for:

1. Waking up early and not feeling like I'm lacking sleep.
2. Eating a heavy lunch but able to concentrate on listening to the voice recordings thereafter.
3. Being able to drive the rickety car (which has more power than my little white elephant!).

Being Thankful: Day 24

I'm thankful for:

1. laughs
2. Whatsapp!
3. my car not breaking down on the way home although it was behaving really wrongly.

Being Thankful: Day 23

I'm thankful for:

1. being alive. No matter how advanced we get, we could be here today and gone tomorrow due to some microscopic influenza virus.
2. being able to laugh in the face of an obvious con job. No more nasi paprik from the new clubhouse operator!
3. having the chance to see my colleague in a different light - in a domestic setting. It really changes how one sees the other person.

Being Thankful: Day 22

I'm thankful for:

1. music... just changes everything!
2. face-to-face contact. Makes me wonder why?
3. the little gifts :)
4. sisters in Christ. Strangely they are always timely albeit unbeknownst to them.
5. a reminder to seek God.

Being Thankful: Day 21

I'm thankful for:

1. Siesta! That satisfaction when you are able to catch some winks after a heavy meal (or rather forced into slumber mode)
2. Trip planning underway. Another accommodation booked!
3. Chocolate pie manja-ing!
4. A 1.0 for my pset 0! I just found this out - totally forgot to check back after submitting.
5. The humour in finding out that the jello I bought, mixed and put on my face had sugar in it when I accidentally liked it! Exfoliation fail. So much for reading the labels!

Being Thankful: Day 20

I'm thankful for:

1. Finding the Lego Movie fun!
2. Fellowship with friends.
3. Exploring Klang Valley alone.
4. Patience on the road filled with tailing fiends!

Being Thankful: Day 19

I'm thankful for:

1. A smooth day at work.
2. Getting into the summarising mode - too bad 6pm came too fast!
3. Signs that pull me back to earth. Better this way - a way out.
4. Maximising time.

Being Thankful: Day 18

I'm thankful for:

1. The little break in routine I had today. It's funny how simple irregularities can refresh me!
2. The random impulsive hop-on-the-bandwagon thing we did today - we have an investment guru now, unbeknownst to him! haha
3. My understanding of Cantonese may have improved slightly! ;)
4. Being distracted from my temptation - aim higher and longer term, sm! Technology always gets better with time.
5. I bought a cheongsam! And after CNY! hahaha preparation for next year then!

Being Thankful: Day 17

I'm thankful for:

1. My freedom. Just watched 12 Years A Slave and it was sad (in a 'how can a human do this to another human' way). Slavery is evil and happens when people start thinking they are god.
2. Yummy char siew!

Being Thankful: Day 16

I'm thankful for:

1. A good laugh with colleagues.
2. Able to leave office on the dot.
3. Salted egg anything!
4. Good fellowship with friends.

Being Thankful: Day 15

I'm thankful for:

1. Super wonderful traffic in the morning that omg I reached office in 12 minutes and parked under the helipad (in the shade!) and took my time to walk to office yet I was still early but I'd forgotten to bring my pass card and so snuck past the guards without a name tag and reached my office level before 9am and managed to catch my colleague while she was passing by the glass door so I didn't need to phone her from outside to open the door for me and when I got to my room I still had some time to edit my yee sang photo (from yesterday) on Line camera and post it to Facebook, completing my annual yee sang adventure! Phew, that was a mouthful.
2. An easy going day.
3. Bursa is closed for Federal Day! Yay, I'm absolved from announcements.
4. Literally no emails, except for one CFO replying my courtesy reply that I can expect the rest of the feedback this week. Why he no celebrate CNY!?!
5. Good food - always blessed to be treated to sumptuous meals. Yee sang, Buddha jump over the wall, suckling pig etc.
6. My gold shoes! So pretty! Need to find more occasions to wear them.

Impressed with Ikea!

Preparing for the wedding had taken a physical and emotional toll on everyone. Some chose to be minimally responsive while others endeavoured to direct people on how to make things work (but don't do much to contribute) and there were the workers (cut the shit and just do it).

With the recent termite attack, we needed to get a new wardrobe for L. So after looking through the Ikea catalogue, L agreed on one of the suggestions. About a week before the big day, mum and I went to Ikea after work to buy the chosen wardrobe. Little did we know that the Brusali wardrobe came in 4 boxes which were so heavy and long (n.b. this was our first time buying furniture from Ikea).

Being Thankful: Day 14

I'm thankful for:

1. Fellowship with friends.
2. Meeting two babies!
3. Discovering the yumminess of ramen.
4. Late night ice cream with mom.

Being Thankful: Day 13

I'm thankful for:

1. Safe journey, although there were many psychotic drivers on Karak today.
2. The adventure of driving in pitch dark narrow winding road through the jungle.
3. Fellowship with family.
4. The cool weather in the hills.
5. Enjoying blessings from others.
6. The adventure of driving without GPS and following signboards, missing turn-offs and entering a few different highways to finally reach our destination.