Thursday, November 24, 2016

Fascinated by: Mila

Whoops! Missed a day! Hopefully just this once heheh.
So, Mila and I met way back, most probably in 2006 when we were working in Cyberjaya (that was my first job as a graphic designer). Nowadays, it's hard for us to meet because she's staying in Kajang (that's about 30-40mins from where i'm staying) and also because time is a b*tch. However, I managed to force her sweetly for this interview with the reason that her birthday was 4 days back and that this is good for her to look/revise on her life.

1.  Where are you now and where were you yesterday?
At work doing my usual routines and It was same for yesterday.

2. What are you doing in life right now to get by the system?
Just go with the flow.

3. How many bills per month do you have to settle?
Normal utilities - about 4?

4. What is your favourite breakfast and why do you think it's good for you?
Typical local dish like nasi lemak, I cannot say it's good but at least it boast my energy and mood to kick-start my morning.
I wanted to put a photo of her karaoke-ing but of course she won't allow it.
5. Describe the smell of your perfume.
Warm, fresh and subtle.

6. What will you be doing this coming weekend?
Spending quality times with my family.

7. What's the difference between holiday and travel?
Holiday means taking break for 9-5 job and I might just stay home all day long watching my fave drama while travel means taking my time off discovering the outside world while learning about people around and your my own self.

8. How do you really wanna live your life?
As simple as it can.

9. Do you like folding or ironing your clothes?
Not really

10. Have you found your purpose in life?
Yes but I rather not talking about that.

11. List three things that you are currently fascinated with.
i. Earth
ii. People
iii. Fashion

12. Why are you wearing that shirt today?
Just because it makes me feel comfortable and it suits my current style.


Stalk her here.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Fascinated by: Raja Syarafina

Raja and I go way back before play school. Her mom's bed was next to my mom's when they were in labour for our youngest sister. Met up again when i got in the same class as her in standard 3 (that'd be 9 years old) in Subang Jaya. Besides dancing and eating cakes, she dishes out (unwanted) sarcastic remarks, whether in print or not, fo lyfe.

1. List three things that you are currently fascinated with.
i. Relatives’, friends’ and strangers’ interest in my personal life. They only want the answers to ‘Who’ and ‘When’ but completely uninterested in the ‘Why’, ‘How’ and ‘What’; 
ii. Going out for meals and seeing that everyone is far more interested in catching up with people NOT at the table/restaurant;
iii. Prices of properties because someone said I’m gonna be a real-estate tycoon! Objectively, that person could be mad.

2. Where are you now and where were you yesterday?
I am now in office, going through documents for the upcoming Penang State Assembly session. It’s a Sunday, mind you. I was at home yesterday, fighting through household chores.
Am not a high-living jet-setting socialite. Oh well.

3. What are you doing in life right now to get by the system?
My job is a lovely rainbow of colours with sprinkles of fairy dust and unicorns. I would love to believe that but those that have crossed the wrong path may not think so. Seems that I’m paid for a few reasons. One is being born with in-built magnifying glass, spotting mistakes (especially in documents) at one glance. Second, making people toe the line when we have different views. I’m quite easygoing, it is my way or the highway. Third, finding that loophole when things don’t seem to be in our favour. Fourth, make things happen, no matter what.  


4. How many bills per month do you have to settle?Quite a few but none gives the same impact as my credit card bills. At that point, there’ll always be the familiar regret of choosing wants over needs. But that lesson will repeat itself!
I bet she was thinking about her credit card bills.

5. What was your ambition when you were 7 years old, and when you were 15?
At 7, I thought being 12 was a good thing. The ‘seniors’ seemed to know what they were doing while I was adjusting from a 2-hour a day kindergarten routine to daily half-day worth of textbooks and ringing bells.
At 15, I was hoping I could scrape through the PMR. It took me awhile to discover that I’ll be tested on 3 years’ worth of content for few miserable subjects!


6. What was the last movie you watched at the cinema and was it good?
It was ‘Brides’, a 2004 Greek movie shown during the 17th European Union Film Festival in November 2016. I thought it was a romantic comedy but it was actually a romance drama. A story about mail-brides back in the 1920’s, 700 women and girls who had to leave their families and homelands for a future with men they’ve not met before. Their journey encapsulated the many different types of women among us (the realist, the romantic, the doormat, the survivor) as well as their hopes and aspirations. To many, a marriage is their key to happily-ever-after. Few wanted the marriage as an escape from a forgettable past.  To the female protagonist, marriage was not about love but companionship and business partnership. She chose a man who is waiting at the port than the man she met on the ship.
Good movie, but may not be favoured in today’s fast-paced action/CGI/chick-lit movie age.


7. What will you be doing this coming weekend?I’ll probably drive up to Hard Rock Penang. The Jazzhats will be performing and their lead singer, Ray Rozells is just superb. His rendition of Luther Vandross’ Dance with My Father is a bit too personal for me but an evening of songs will never go wrong. Could also try to slot in a game of pool or two.


8. Do you like folding or ironing your clothes?
I prefer neither but…there is that perverse masochistic tendency of appreciating clothes that have crisp lines e.g. shirt sleeves or pants. I feel more comfortable if the clothes I wear are well-ironed, even if the material states ‘no ironing needed’! I don’t have a maid so the hardest part for me is to really lift the iron and start ironing. But once I start, I can’t seem to stop…
By the way, the question does seem like one which a prospective mother-in-law will ask!


9. What is your favourite breakfast and why do you think it’s good for you?
Toasted bread and half-boiled eggs. Am not sure if they’re good for me but the kopitiam version is a good start for any day.


10. What was the last awkward situation you were in?
Me having to listen to a guy’s problematic past romance over dinner. I actually liked that guy enough to see prospects of a relationship but when that tornado came out of nowhere, something inside of me switched off. From a close friend and relationship hopeful, I became someone who dished out advice from the sidelines. I don’t think I will have the courage or patience to experience that again so I wrote and sent him a letter the next day. It was of mixed signals, missed opportunities and me moving on from this comedy of mistakes.

I am not sure if his comprehension skills are functioning...

She managed to purr a salsa fiesta in Penang.
11.  What is your favourite print patterns? 
Does a string of ‘SALE’ stickers at shops of my favourite brands count?


12. How do you really wanna live your life?
I think I’m happy the way I am now. Used to dream of many possibilities but considering how things have worked out, God must have intended this for me. No doubt things can be a lot better but it could be a lot worse. 
I hope to have a life that provides me just enough in terms of material wealth, a little bit but manageable amount of stress and pressure to push me forward, and an abundance of love and memories with family and close friends. And as what I learnt from my Dad’s passing, a peaceful end after a life well-lived.



Read her opinions here.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Neue Artisans 4.0

Another event you should check out too (if you're not into books so much).

Kuala Lumpur Literary Festival 2016

Ugh so many interesting events this weekend but i'll be busy sorting out stuff for Black Market Weekend. However, check out this event if you have the time.



Chof Kukis

Chof kukis is soft chocolate cookies yang tak jadi (because it's wayyy chewy). I LOVE soft cookies and the easiest and most affordable cookies i can get is from Subway. However, i think it's great if i can bake my own, so i did. As you can see from the stories i posted on my blog (like, blogging last year's event, this year), that i am very busy dealing with life. So time is very precious and i like things that don't really take my time. Insert some mathematic biological formula, that, sort of equals to being lazy, heh. But you see, lazy people are good at doing things in a very limited time. We love the pressure!

Right.

So i searched on Pinterest "easy soft cookies recipe" and found this. Read through and it seemed easy which is true, it is easy! Tastes good but a bit too sweet for me (but one of my colleague said not sweet enough for her).
I replaced the chocolate chips with 3/5 Tango milk chocolate bar and added a little bit of raw peanuts. Gigih okay malam malam tumbuk kacang padahal tak raya puunn. However, actually, my cookies didn't turn out like the photos because as someone who bakes once in a blue moon, i was questioning why is my oven's temperature only up to 250 when in the recipe stated 350. After baking the first batch and discussing it with a friend, because the cookies didn't actually 'deflated' per recipe instruction, apparently i made a mistake thinking that 350 was for degree celsius, which is not because in the US they use fahrenheit instead. Bummer. Anyway, i'm gonna bake the left over dough because i was too tired and sleepy already (baked the cookies on a weeknight. So determined riiight), this time i'm gonna try make smaller balls. Wish me luck!

Had to use cupcake..cups(?) because i forgot to get the cookie sheet.
There's only one photo because i was really into baking this chof kukis. Also, i kinda suck at multitasking. Focus guys, concentration. Baking something you love, with love, for your loved ones. Hah!

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Fascinated by: Andre

We sat at the same table during his high school prom party (our drummer went to the same school) and turned out we were in the same graphic design course in college. Full name Andre Riantiarno Nasution, he was the one who introduced to me the riot grrrl music scene.

1. Where are you now and where were you yesterday?
Now, I think I am where I should be. Yesterday, probably trying to figure out where I should be.

2. What are you doing in life right now to get by the system?
I don’t have to get by the system. I mean, I am my own system. Fair enough?

3. How many bills per month do you have to settle?
A few. 3 to 4 monthly bills.

4. What is your favourite breakfast and why do you think it's good for you?
Nasi lemak with less sambal and telur mata tak nak cair. Because I’m tryin’ to gain those lemaks which I think I can get by eating nasi lemak on daily basis.

Nasution is pronounced Nah-soo-tee-on
 5. What was the last thing you read?
I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk and some celebrities buzz feeds.

6. What will you be doing this coming weekend?
Baliiiiiiii!

7. What's the difference between holiday and travel?
I think holiday is more on a relaxation and spiritual awakening thing. Probably just do nothing and relaxing by the beach, cocktails from 2pm by the pool, a little fancy dinner, drinking session at nice pubs with good music and repeat.
While travel usually need more energy. Walking from place to place, experiencing different cultures, trying euww foods for the first and the last time, meeting new people, taking instaworthy photos (LOL), etc.

8. How do you really wanna live your life?
Enjoy being in uncommitted relationship, with peace and harmony, and lotsa money to get by. ☺

He bakes!
9. What was the last awkward situation you were in?
Probably few months back. Got hugged by someone who thought they know me (or maybe I just couldn’t recall who the hell he was).

10. Have you found your purpose in life?
For me personally, just living life, do good and trying to be good.

11. List three things that you are currently fascinated with.
i  - Travelling to European countries.
ii – Things that I think I can do more.
iii – How shitty can a marriage be and reasons of why I shouldn’t sign up.

12. Why are you wearing that shirt today?
Lazy Wednesday = Easy iron shirt from H&M (no explanation needed)

Go like his photos.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Fascinated By: Ajiera

Ajiera is someone i constantly talk to at the office and considered as my Grey's Anatomy person (you have to watch the show to get it). Born in 1985, back then she studied interior design but not really practising it nowadays.

1. Where are you now and where were you yesterday?
Literally? Office and home. Super generally? Yesterday a hustler. Now trying to be a survivor/human.

2. What are you doing in life right now to get by the system?
Fighting and struggling the normalities. The more i do now, the more i think we're going nowhere. (forgive my negativity)

3. How many bills per month do you have to settle?
Around RM2,500+

4. What is your favourite breakfast and why do you think it's good for you?
Self-made omelette with potatoes and cheese and half-fried onions. It will make me full & happy obviously. #potatorules

5. What was the last thing you read?
The above question. If it's a book, it's Buy Me The Sky by Xin Ran.

6. What will you be doing this coming weekend?
Work/ on duty this Saturday (i was forced to buy nasi dagang, soto and nasi lemak from a girl friend who's opening a stall this coming Saturday).
Sunday- maybe helping her at her stall?????

That time i forced her to join me at YSDAF2016

7. What's the difference between holiday and travel?
Holidays stops at the age of 17 where you worry nothing because your parents settled everything for you, including your swimming suit/trunk, and pay anything you choose at souvenir shop or even better, give you money to spend yourself - OVERSEAS.
Travel is when you get lost and you learn.

8. How do you really wanna live your life?
I still don't know what i want in life generally but the decent way of living in my opinion is by having sufficient love, support, understanding, respect and enough moneyto eat and pay what should be paid. To be specific I need someone to talk to and share my life with, able to listen to good music and watch good movies, read books and spend quality time with loved ones, like an evening at Pantai Sepat.

9. What was the last awkward situation you were in?
Today (almost) shouting at a friend "but you are the one who is sighing!" during meeting on site with tenant from Japan and some contractors. Only one of them turned and look at me thank God.

10. Have you found your purpose in life?
Ahh...no. But i believe everything we search for will always come back to love.

Ajiera's Brandon Flower.

11. List three things that you are currently fascinated with.
i. Finding out who's having period at the same time, right now at the office, there are 6 girls and 2 soon. I learned in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" that girls who spend time together will get their period sync with each other.
ii. A girl band and i won't let you know which because it's embarrassing.
iii. The taste of my healthy breakfast.

12. Why are you wearing that shirt today?
Because i know there's a board meeting today and to help myself feeling a little bit better from the day before but turned out that if there's a jerk in between your work, you'll be ruined anyway.

She is single but i'm not sure if she's available.