Post #291: Reminder to Self

On this sunny day of 28th December 2007; an interesting post, 30 Happiness Tips: Program Your Life for Optimum Enjoyment, from the Dumb Little Man reminded me that ...

26. Jealousy doesn't help. Many people obsess about others who are successful or happy. That gets you nowhere, fast. Instead, be happy for them. Then focus on yourself, and what you do right.

Note to Self: Remember and STOP the jealousy!!! :P

New Year Resolutions

I actually silently decided that I am not going to blog about this topic. But I was intrigued by a particular post.

It is lovely to think that I will improve all aspects of myself in the NEW YEAR. I will do things better. I will achieve my career goals. I will be better at adhering to my budget. I will lose my flabs and never worry about my appearance anymore. I will be a nicer person.

Truth is - these resolutions are rolled over from the past few years.

They all seem great at the time they were made. All the goals look realistic and possible despite being shiny and shimmery. But as soon as the holiday is over and work started, the jittery got lost in routines. Before I know it, I fall back to doing the same things the exact same way I've always been doing them and forgot all about the resolutions (until I reach the end of the year - again!).

Nothing changed. No extra savings. No in-love-with-my-job. No sudden weight loss. No volunteering. Bleh!

So... in the post that intrigued me, "7 Highly Effective Resolutions for the New Year" at Ririan Project, the author advised us to...

... make a useful and realistic resolution. Stop focusing on such perennial classics as going to the gym more often, losing weight and quitting smoking. Think bigger, better and brighter, for you and for those around you.

In the post, she listed 7 resolutions that will help with self improvement - becoming a better person. For me though, the following resolutions seem very applicable:

• Be Grateful - If you don’t already thank people when they do something nice for you, start taking the time to notice just how many people help you over the course of a day.
Though for me, I'd like to be more grateful with what I already have. Being envious is extremely tiresome!


• Change One Negative Thing About Yourself - Be it jealousy, constant stress, misanthropy, always staying in, lying, or what have you, pick something that exudes negative energy and phase it out. ... Fixing the negative will increase your self-esteem, so believe in yourself.
I will need to have a year-end self-reflection session and decide on which one of my negative thing that I really can't stand anymore - will report back later. :P


• Listen More - Remember: “If he who listens, listens fully, then he who listens becomes he who understands.”

With this list published here - I hope I'll have more success in sticking with them for the year 2008!

"A nice bonus is that once you feel yourself improving, in body and in mind, you will want to improve your life in other ways. One resolution could lead to a dozen more!"-- Taken from the above article.

Well, the best of luck to all of us in sticking to whatever New Year Resolution that we decided to make. May the future be better than today.

Dumb Little Man says...

This morning, the "Arguing 101: Learn the Rules" article from the Dumb Little Man blog intro me to itself.

Then, just like what anyone would normally do when they first meet someone new, I asked questions. Hmmm more accurately, I poked the site a little, which was smart of me (hihihi :P) cause I found the following article, which in my humble opinion contain some very very useful tips...
"Things I Wish I Knew..."

Some of the ones that I particularly like are as follows (direct quotes):

• No one will believe in you more than you do. ... If you believe in it, do it.


• In business, trust is never sacred. ... I don't care who your partner is - MONEY CHANGES PEOPLE!


• Money isn't Bad. You have to understand that money is good and your spending habits are bad. ... EVERY single dollar you spend must be scrutinized. If the dollar is not helping your long term goals, don't spend it.


• Having a kid will change your life. ... Don't play with fire unless you are ready to completely change your life... it's not a dog.

and lastly, my personal favorite ...


• You choose your destination. Your time to experiment is over quickly. Before your obligations consume you, be sure you are happy with your personal path.

Thought of the Day (20th December 2007)

I'm not quite sure of whether it is habitually on purpose cause it's the end of year or coincidentally, a few questions have been bubbling up in my head:
"How am I going with my life lately; socially, purpose-wise, happiness, financially?"
"Is there anything that I'd like to change and do differently?"
"Which parts of my life that I'd really like to keep the way it is at the moment cause it's 'AWESOME'?"

The title of the following article by Steve Pavlina yesterday (the 19th December 2007), "Love Your Work or Don’t Work at All" intrigued me.

In that article, he suggests that we
"Consider the following quote from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet:"

Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.
And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distills a poison in the wine.
And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man’s ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

He open the article with the following question:
"Why is it that so many people are willing to tolerate work they don’t enjoy for the sake of a paycheck?"
In which he answer with his assumption of ...
"I think it’s because most of them simply don’t know what it’s really like to be in love with their work. Their fear is greater than their power, so they never make the leap into the unknown to find out what it’s like to work from love instead of for money."

Now, knowing that surely I don't "love" my work, I can help answer his question. The thing is, even though I don't necessarily "love" my work; I don't hate it either (I think :P). He might be right in saying that most of us don't know what it's really like to be in love with our work. I think some of us also think that it is unlikely for us to love work. Sure, I've read about people who love their jobs, but more often than not, people that I talk to DON'T love their job. They're just doing it for the money.
Also, I was conditioned from when I was a kid to make the best out of what I've got and that greedy-ness never result in good outcome. Hence, it doesn't seem right to stop doing what I neither love nor hate in looking for something that I love.

Question is, should I stop being lazy, get brave and make the leap into the unknown world of trying to find the work that I love?

New Blog RSS Link

I've opt-ed to try out the FeedsBurner thing, so please update your RSS reader with the new feed link http://feeds.feedburner.com/AChatterboxsPensieve.

Thanks! ^.^

Thoughts of the Day (18th December)

"The best and most beautiful things in this world
cannot be seen or even heard,
but must be felt with the heart."

– Helen Keller

"Nature gave us one tongue and two ears
so we could hear twice as much as we speak."

– Epictetus

Pssst... The above quotes are copied from this great article, "How to Build Intimacy in Any Relationship", by Tina @ ThinkSimpleNow.com.

Extract of the day: "Making a difference"

Taken from Buddhism for Busy People page 155 *:

I once heard a story about a woman who was rescuing starfish stranded on a beach. A whole shoal of them had washed up, and as she took her regular morning walk, she'd bend down, pick one up and throw it back into the ocean.

'What's the point?' she was challenged by fellow walkers, overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem. 'You can only save a handful.'

'Yes,' she agreed. 'But for the handful I save, it really matters.'

None of us can solve all the world's problems, but that shouldn't make us give up doing what we can to help. The amazing paradox of developing compassion and practising generosity is the experience of just how much happiness we create for ourselves.

* Page references comes from the 2nd edition soft cover version of the book.

"I'll be happy when..."

On the 6th of December 2007, Gretchen from The Happiness Project posted the "I'll be so happy once I'm thin. Or rich. Or successful. Or engaged. Right?" article. I read them recently and I really liked it. Her honest words got me thinking on the fact that the "I'll be happy when.." thinking way is so relate-able to me.

Not long after that, as I was reading Chapter 4: Karma of the Buddhism for Busy People book, just like many other life funny coincidences, I got to the "I'll be happy when..." section. It starts with an interesting Tibetan saying..

Don't overlook small and seemingly insignificant negative actions.
The smallest of sparks can burn down a mountain.

@ page 77 *

Right after that section is the 'Getting what you want' section, and in there I found an interesting thought that is said to be a famous aphorism from George Bernard Shaw...

'There are two disappointments in life; not getting what you want, and getting it.'

@ page 80 *

These thoughts are definitely something worth pondering upon.

* Page references comes from the 2nd edition soft cover version of the book.

Video: Home Made Optimus Prime (Transformers)

Check this out..
I think it's pretty cool!

http://jalopnik.com/cars/transformers/homemade-optimus-prime-costume-also-deserves-props-332592.php?autoplay=true

Quarter-Life Crisis (QLC)

Whoa - the term "Quarter-Life Crisis" actually exists!!! Here I thought I made it up from the Mid Life Crisis thing (but hey - I am not the only one who thought so - refer this nice little blog post that I just found).

Wikipedia defines it as...

"The quarterlife crisis (QLC) is a term applied to the period of life immediately following the major changes of adolescence, usually ranging from the ages of 21 - 29. The term is named by analogy with mid-life crisis. It is now recognised by many therapists and professionals in the mental health field."

Wikipedia explains that the characteristics of quarter-life crisis may include:

• feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at one's academic/intellectual level


• frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or career


• confusion of identity


• insecurity regarding the near future


• insecurity regarding present accomplishments


• re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships


• disappointment with one's job


• nostalgia for university, college, high school or elementary school life


• tendency to hold stronger opinions


• boredom with social interactions


• financially-rooted stress


• loneliness


• desire to have children


• a sense that everyone is, somehow, doing better than you

The list above has quite accurately describes my symptoms - especially the Bold-ed entries; not so much the Italic ones!!!

Here's a little more description from Wikipedia:

"These emotions and insecurities are not uncommon at this age, nor at any age in adult life. In the context of the quarter-life crisis, however, they occur shortly after a young person – usually an educated professional, in this context – enters the "real world". After entering adult life and coming to terms with its responsibilities, some individuals find themselves experiencing career stagnation or extreme insecurity. The individual often realizes the real world is tougher, more competitive and less forgiving than they imagined. Furthermore, the qualifications they have spent so much time and money earning are not likely to prepare them for this disillusionment.

I'll do a little bit more research into this and report on my finding sometime once I'm finished with my current book.

In the mean time, here's some links for you to flick through:

• Lola's interesting post from Making It Meaningful..., "How To Thrive Through The Quarterlife Crisis - Look In The Mirror


• How to Identify a Quarterlife Crisis - eHow.com


• Quarterlife Crisis - a one-stop info-shop for recent grads & beyond site


• How To Have A Quarter-Life Crisis - ProductDose.com


• Quarter Life Crisis: The Great Ambition Killer by Abbey Grace Yap at Articles Abundant

Are you experiencing this? What helps? What not?

A Question for Myself...

While I was doing a silly quiz from BlogThings (don't ask which one - too embarrassing to tell! :P), I came across this interesting question...
I chose an answer.. but I don't know if it's true..
It's something I'm figuring out at the moment, "What is my secret dream life path really?"

More Extracts from "Buddhism for Busy People"

I have to say, the book is very well written in a way that intrigues my mind to start thinking about the things that he's talking about.

"I like the story of the novice monk who asked a very much older yogi, 'What do you do, as an enlightened being?'
To which the other replied, after a pause, 'I walk and I eat and I sleep.'
The young monk was taken aback. 'But I also walk and eat and sleep,' he responded.
'Yes,' the other smiled. 'But when I walk, I walk. When I eat, I eat. And when I sleep, I sleep.'"

@ pg 43 *
It's been an extremely enjoyable read that I even started to think that maybe I should slow down a little. Read a chapter a day. Let the contents sink in. At the same time, I'm impatient to read more, to get more calming feeling and interesting thoughts from it.

* Page references comes from the 2nd edition soft cover version of the book.

"Plain Chocolate" by Chocolate Source

My search for definition of "plain chocolate" brought me to Chocolate Source, a resource of chocolate recipes and information.
Thought I should help publish this kewl site.

To my surprise though,

"Dark chocolate without milk as an additive is also called plain chocolate. The US Government calls this sweet chocolate, and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids."

Thankfully I went and look it up before going to buy milk chocolate which is what I initially thought plain chocolate is. I guess I should be smarter and understand that plain means "just chocolate" and not taking it as plain "without almond/hazelnut/cashew/etc". *wink*

Thoughts of the Day (4th Dec 2007)

Where would I possibly find enough leather
With which to cover the surface of the earth?
But wearing leather just on the soles of my shoes
Is equivalent to covering the earth with it.

@ page 5 *

In Buddhism we like people to ask questions, we don't like blind faith. Buddha himself once said, "Anyone who believes what I ay is a fool - unless he has tried it for himself." So you look into it.

@ page 18 *

"Even when you make yourself comfortable, it doesn't last long and you have to change your position. This applies to everything. Work. Relationships. Home. Your car. Everything!"

@ page 21 *
The above are excerpts from "Buddhism for Busy People" by David Michie.

I've only started reading up to page 25 - but it has already got me thinking about the words all the time. Very interesting indeed.

Ref: Chapter One: What does it take to be happy.

* Page references comes from the 2nd edition soft cover version of the book.

Book Reviews Site

In my search of a good Self-Help book on the topics of Confidence / Self Esteem, Handling Fear and Insecurities, Avoid Over Thinking and Finding Inner Peace; I came across many different titles. Each one prettier than the other. Various promises on how it will "change life".

How do I know which one will be worth reading? Does any of them has capability of really changing my life? Why is there no website for book reviews that has everything?

I suppose Amazon do the job pretty well.. Most books will be available there - but I have to scroll quite a bit before I actually get to the Review part and it's pretty random... It would be nice to have an actual Book Review portal which does only that and nothing else.

I found this metacritic site. It has Film, DVD, Music, Games, Books, TV reviews. The book reviews are not as complete as I'd like it to be but hey, maybe it's just a matter of time and publicity.

As a trial, check out the reviews on the "Eat Pray Love" book by Gilbert Elizabeth.

Note to self: 9 Point Plan Towards Inner Peace

In my search of solution towards my being lost feeling, I came across this very handy article.. "Revealed: Nine ways to find your inner happiness" by Ben Mcconville in New York (posted on Wed 12 Nov 2003).

The plan in summary is as follows:

1. Stop comparing how you look with others. It says, "The secret is to believe you look great."


2. Next, "curb those aspirational desires". Aspiring far beyond what you currently tended sets you up for being less happier than if you aspire for things that are closer to what you already tended. This is quite reasonable seeing that by aspiring far beyond, you will have to commit for a long period before realising the aspiration.


3. Interestingly put, "money can buy happiness, but it doesn’t buy you very much. Once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each extra pound makes less and less difference, said Professor Robert Frank, an economist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York."


4. Intelligence has no effect towards happiness - according to the few surveys that has examined the relationship between the two.


5. Though this is not necessarily helpful, apparently "Happiness is also genetic." However, know that the genetic link actually comes through Personality, which helps. Cause we can direct our personality to lean towards happiness.


6. "Married people are also consistently happier than singles." Really? Though, note on the side, "happy people are more likely to get married and stay married." So, maybe it's just cause they're already happy to begin with? (my defense for the non-married - like me :P)


7. Apparently, "believing in God or an afterlife can give people meaning and purpose, and reduce the feeling of being alone in the world." Though I personally think, it doesn't necessarily have to be God or afterlife, it could come in the form of meditation.


8. "Several studies have found a link between happiness and altruistic behaviour."


9. Last but not least, "to grow old gracefully." It elaborates and explains that "old people reported positive emotions as often as young people but negative emotions much less frequently." Well, I guess the wisdom and appreciation that people got from life experiences do help.

Please visit the above post for more detailed information.

On a more religious side, the article titled "Bodhinatha Speaks on: Attaining Enduring Happiness" at Kauai's Hindu Monastery has several valid points too...

Maybe it's time for me to start reading "Buddhism for Busy People: Finding Happiness in an Uncertain World (Paperback)"
It has intrigued me a while ago when I first saw it. I shall go and get them today with the help of Borders 30% Discount coupon.. *wink*

My Latest Craving: Bubur Sum Sum

Image from Herti Kitchen Gallery > Bubur Sumsum (here).

Recipe available in HomeMadeS' "Sugar High Friday-Craving Something Traditional..." post mixed with "Comfort Food: Bubur Candil".

Perhaps you prefer the Mesra.net's version here (in English).

Note (8th December):
Tried the above recipes from HomeMadeS blog. I made the combination of Bubur Sumsum + Sauce + Candil (without Pudding) + Coconut Sauce.
The Candil dough was a little tricky to roll (need to add a splash of water every now and then) but it turns out yummy. I boiled them with a little bit of palm sugar (~50g) and Pandan Leave. The Bubur Sumsum sauce turns out great too.
But, the Bubur Sumsum itself was a little funny. It was lumpy even though I have made sure they were smooth before I start cooking them. The heat starts lumping the mixture from the bottom of the saucepan. Before I know it - it was all cooked through lumpi-ly!!! :P
I will try the tips from Recipezaar (pouring the half coconut milk + rice flour mixture into the already boiling other half mixture of half coconut milk and salt) next time.

Cupcakes... Again???

Hihihi.. A girl can never have too much of the cupcakes' cuteness!

This time though - I won't be posting proof of cupcakes' lovely looks. It will be more of a tips and tricks session. (Not that I am anywhere near able to provide them.) I'll only be quoting - or more precisely, referencing links...

So - I tried to bake my first batch of cupcakes. Not so good. The icing was madly sweet and the cupcake could be so much more fluffier. It would also be nice for the icing to turn out white instead of YELLOW!!! :P

LOL! What's a girl gotta do but to research into these problems?

Found the following post from Su Yin on her blog (The Journal of a Girl who loves To Cook) - "Cupcakes".
Highly recommended. Complete tips and tricks session. Very handy indeed.

Diana's Dessert's Conversion Calculators page is also one of the page that I'll be visiting quite a bit. This site also offers loads of tempting recipes and the Kitchen and Baking Essentials page and Basic Tips and Techniques page are highly recommended if you're a baking-noob like me!

Joy of baking offers pages like Frosting or Icing which explains more about the different types and how best to make it. The page about Baking Powder and Baking Soda is also very informative.

Here's couple more links which I have been browsing to get some tips before baking my second (and hopefully better) batch of cupcakes...

• Cupcake Baking Tips


• 10 Tips for Baking a Perfect Cupcake


• 10 expert tips for making great cupcakes


• Tips for Cupcakes

Now, if you want to try out your knowledge of how to bake the perfect cupcake, here's something to bake... Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe from Pink Cake Box blog!

Ririan Project's Tips for People with Tendency to Stress Out (Like Me! :P)

Ririan Project's most recent post, "Phew! How to De-Stress in 3 Minutes or Less", has really good tips on how to de-stress.

I'm not sure if I've had them all along or if it's a recent thing - but I notice that I have the tendency to stress out easily.
Some of the things discussed in the above post was very much reflection of what I do all the time (e.g. "Reading your own thoughts into someone else’s words", "Taking care of other people’s business").
I'm learning and working on them though. Well, realising and admitting are the first steps towards the fix, right?

It does help to have someone close to you who is able to tear down these "BIG" issues of mine and at the same time help put things in perspective for me. Thanks to my "Boris" hihihihi :P.

Cupcakes Shots!!

So here I am, sitting in front of Shanon's big 30" pretty monitor - browsing cupcakes blogs...
Gosh - I couldn't stop browsing them! Each one prettier than the other...
When I got to this pic of vanilla cupcake with choc mousse frosting - I was practically drooling..
Mmm... makes me wonder - how many cupcakes photo sets are there in Flickr? So I search for cupcake - got this result set!
Check out these AMAZINGLY YUMMY cupcakes!!!
especially for my one n only li'l sis!
piggie cupcakes

especially for pipi
cookie monster cupcakes


cow cupcakes

candy pop land



the end of the garden

vintage tea set with cupcake



cupcakes go to hawaii

enchanted castle in the clouds



ballerinas and the bunnies

cuppies_mediaethics18 by lyyyl



shamsd's collections!

The Simple Dollar: Should You Help People Who Won’t Help Themselves?

Should You Help People Who Won’t Help Themselves? was the title of Trent's recent post at The Simple Dollar.

When I saw the title, I quickly click on the link - hoping to find an answer to this particular question which has been on my mind for quite a while (though my question was in a more guilty-person tone).

My comments on Trent's post:

"I’m on a similar boat and after trying all sorts of things, I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is to just be there for them and wait till they DECIDE to change.
However, coming to that conclusion doesn’t lessen the guilty feelings of no longer pro-actively doing anything to help.
It makes me feel MUCH better to know that other people with similar issues have the same idea on how best to handle this.
Thank you for such a thoughtful post, Trent!"

Test Post from ScribeFire

Wowwwww!!!

All of you bloggers out there who's a little slow like me - check this out!!!!

Thanks to ScribeFire - I can easily publish a post while browsing other websites etc!!! It is sooooooo cool!!! I'm truly amazed.. It works with a big range of blog sites!

I still have to work out how to post an image through this (aside from FTP-ing - seeing that I don't have a place to FTP to) - but it is definitely AWESOME!

If you're interested, get the Firefox add-ons here...
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1730

Powered by ScribeFire.

Oh Cupcakes!

Attribute to my latest fad...

"Cupcakes"

The cutest yummy-looking food ever!!!

Psst.. I say yummy-looking because till now I haven't had many cupcakes and none of them has really made me go 'WOW!' yet... But, the appeal of its presentation has definitely got me going "WOWWWWW!!!" :P

Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit
This blog has an extensive range of cupcakes recipes and most importantly, the recipes come with pictures which exude their appeal... Cause when it comes to cupcakes; the phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover" is completely thrown out of the window. Not to forget, this blog also has some baking tips.. :) Works well for me!

Cupcakes Take The Cake
Well - this particular blog - fits me oh so well! It features snapshots of cupcakes from everywhere. And I'll have you know, they are all EXTREMELY pretty!!!

Cupcake Recipe
A pretty blog filled with cupcakes photos and the occasional cupcakes recipes.. Love the look of this blog and the pics are very tasteful too...

CupCake Creations
This blog provides you with a vast collection of recipes. It also has lots of tips and advice on how to bake a perfect cake. Very informative indeed! It also offers a selection of premade plastic toppers.

nz cupcake queen
Loads and loads of homemade cupcakes pic from a "nz cupcake queen" who is "sharing my cupcake obession with the world"...

How to Eat a Cupcake
I'm not sure if anyone really need to be taught to eat a cupcake; but this site is pretty well presented. It comes with recipes (complete with in-the-making pics to further support the instructions) and loads of weblinks to other cupcakes-blogs. The blogger is still actively posting with an average of one post per week plus voting bar on what to come!

All Things CupcakeJust as the name screams out, this is where to go to find out about all things cupcake! Accessories, Furnitures, Tried Recipes, even Tattoos!!! :))) Very pretty blog indeed.. Definitely worth checking out!

Cupcake Project
"The cupcake has come under siege in school systems across America and I believe this sweet treat can be saved one baker at a time. The mission of Cupcake Project is to build a base of cupcake fans by educating and informing the public about all things cupcake.
I bake mostly experimental cupcakes and I encourage you to take risks yourself and to try baking something new!"

(way more than) 52 Cupcakes
It's easy to tell why this blog was nominated for "Best Food Blog" in the blogger's choice awards! Cute pics. Big collections of full-of-life posts. Occasional recipes - which is explained by the Where are the @$#$*# recipes? post on Wednesday, July 06, 2005:
"But the idea for this blog...for me...is not really about the cupcake recipes.
From the beginning it has been about a personal challenge I set for myself of making 52 kinds of cupcakes--one cupcake a week for 52 weeks". It also has AWESOME cupcakes book recommendations.

Couture Cupcake
"Cupcakes with Pizzazz" Pretty Cupcakes Pics. Still actively posting. Loads of links. Occasional Recipes. Great combination.

Cupcake Frenzy
Another one of those no-longer-growing blog with pretty cupcakes pictures and well written recipes which last post was in November 2006. The contents are definitely worth checking out though!

Ooh you tasty little things
There's always the odd one out in a group of things. Here's the one on this list. It's not a full on cupcake blog - yet I included them here. It's "the" pretty food site, with the occasional appearance of cupcakes recipes and pics. The food pictures are so well taken. The white background of the blog really works magic in showing off the colour of the food pics. Everything look sooooo pretty!!!

Oh well - I'm sure if I keep going the list will go on and on and on and on... But, like everything else that's good :P - this post has to stop somewhere - otherwise, I'll never get a chance to pick a recipe that I want to try.. So I'll finish it up here with the promise of my own cupcake experiment result sometime soon (hopefully by the end of this year!) :P

In the mean time, if you have more time, check out BakeSpace.com. It's "a place for cookers and cakers" known for "Recipe Swap and Food Social Network".

Plus, here's some links to cake shop closer to home (Melbourne): Crabapple Cupcake || Cakes Around Town || Patterson's Cakes

"P.S., I Love You" will be in the Cinemas!!!

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeee... :D ***MASSIVE SMILE***

My favorite girlie fiction book, "P.S., I Love You" written by Cecelia Ahern, has been made into a movie!!!

Directed by: Richard LaGravenese

Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) is beautiful, smart, and married to the love of her life—a passionate, funny and impetuous Irishman named Gerry (Gerard Butler). So when Gerry’s life is taken by an illness, it takes the life out of Holly. The only one who can help her is the person who is no longer there. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. So it’s a good thing he planned ahead.-- Taken from Apple Trailers Page

It's going to be shown here on the 26th December, which gives me 37 days to re-read the book! I'm SUPER excited!!! :)))

In the mean time, check out this reference links for the movie:
IMDB || Movie Official Site (Incl. Trailer) || Wiki page

Tips for the Social Butterflies to be

"Eight Essential Tips to Overcoming Shyness and Making a Good Impression" by Cyan Ta'eed of Freelance Switch

I really like the article above and I think the tips are very applicable - especially with the "Ask More, Talk Less" and "Be Generous" tips.

I know for sure I don't need to justify my preference for the "Ask More, Talk Less" tip.

With the "Be Generous" tip, I am a strong believer in karma - what goes around comes around. Hence, it is very important to keep the generosity going around. Yep - I know that bad things happen to good people. But - that definitely does not qualify as a reason to stop doing good things.
I, for one, have lately starting to realise the negativity aura spread out by being judgmental. Along the way, I've also realised that in the long run, it's much easier and nicer to not judge whenever you can - even when it seems extremely tempting to judge.

Funnily - I was having an awkward situation at lunch today for not following the first tip. I went on a team lunch with a not so familiar group (except for one girl who's more familiar with the group). There was this blue shirt guy that I started talking to without introduction - just short sentences - but before I know it we're stuck in the phase where we've been talking for a while without really knowing each other's names and it increasingly became more difficult to intro ourselves. I end up quietly asked the girl who he is and slipped it in the conversation. *Fiuh*

The other thing that has been popping up on me lately is tip #6, "Remember a Detail"
It should be simple - but my bad memory doesn't help. It's not an excuse though - I'm working on that. :)

Finally, even though "Everyone is just as shy as you are" might not be 100% true - it doesn't hurt to think that, especially if it helps you get the ball rolling.

Just keep in mind - afterall - we are all humans with our own insecurities.

especially for you... ^.^

so I can say that I...


mmm well now I know that the following saying is true ...

***girlie giggles***

[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Words*]

100 Ways to Save The Environment (SEQL)

Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life launched "100 Ways to Save The Environment".

Some of them are really very simple.

Get them in the PDF version if you prefer.

Appreciation & Doing My Best

Cosmo's editor (Sarah Wilson) has decided to move on and leave behind this famous job that she's been doing for 3-years-and-a-half. I'm sure it's a pretty big decision for her. In her last issue to edit (December 07), she said that it feels like breaking up with a boyfriend to move somewhere else; which I think is a rather appropriate analogy. It has the aspect of "not wanting to go" and yet "having to let go and move on" with our lives.

Yet I can't help but wonder - Is she sure this is what she wants? If so, how certain is she? Has she done everything she could have done as the editor? Did she feel like she has done her best throughout the 3.5 years? Is she satisfied with her own effort? Is she going to regret this when things do not work out?

This brings me back to when I decided to move from my old workplace - which was kinda a surprise (even to me). I put in the request to be moved out before I was sure (cause deep down I know I'll never be sure). Even though I really adore the people that I was working with; I can't deny my growing-stagnant-mind.

I have to admit - the first couple months after that weren't good. I questioned my decision quite a lot. Knowing that I've done my best back there helps a lot. Knowing that I've put in my best effort to contribute as well as to grow from the experience. There is not much left that I can gain by going back there right now doing the same thing that I was doing.

So, with that in mind - I continue my struggle at the new place - and hey - the goodies have begin to appear.. I'm slowly starting to enjoy the new workplace. It has its own perks, you see :P

Anyway - back to what I'm trying to say; i.e. when I read about Sarah leaving Cosmo, I was reminded that most things in life are temporary. We (well - mainly me) should try to enjoy our life experiences while they lasts, appreciate its perks and take on our responsibilities properly. Especially when it involves other people. In most cases, we do not get EXACTLY SAME THING second time around to experience, appreciate or do.

In conclusion -

"Live life to the fullest!!!"

Trashionista

I'm tired of buying the wrong book.

Finally!!! A pretty book review blog that talks about chick-lits... http://www.trashionista.com/.

I've really liked Cecilia Ahern's first 3 books ("PS, I Love You"; "Where the Rainbow Ends" and "If You Could See Me Now"); but this one I'm reading at the moment, "A Place Called Here"... Gosh - it's very difficult to finish. It's driving me crazy.
I really don't like not finishing a book I've started to read but at the same time - I really can't find the motivation to keep reading.

Lesson learn? Should check with Trashionista first! :P

Or maybe, check with AllReaders? :)

Letter Written in 2070 (SlideShow)

Check out the A Letter From The Year 2070 slide show.

As Zen has said on his recent post; the message that it delivers is very powerful.

Come to think of it, the year 2070 is less than 63 years away from us.. Let's all do something together before it's too late.

Calamity

I've never recalled seeing this word prior, but for some reason, it popped up on me twice in the past week.

First, through Zen's blog post: Purpose on the 22nd October 2007.
Then again today, through the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book that I'm currently reading (refer page 286 Chapter 18: The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore).

It seems to be how our brain works: found something new - register the new thing - the new thing seems to keep reappearing - then after a while, our brain no longer register the new thing because it becomes used to the occurrence of the new (now old) thing.

Anyway - I thought it'd be good for me to note down the meaning of the word.

Definition of Calamity:
1. An event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; a disaster: A hurricane would be a calamity for this low-lying coastal region.
2. Dire distress resulting from loss or tragedy.
--taken from answers.com

Hmm.. I find it a little annoying that I keep connecting the word "calamity" to the word "calm" while they have such an opposite meaning.

26 October 2007:
I saw the word - again. See picture below...

Three times in a week! Now I surely will remember the meaning - at least for a longgggggggg time.

Over Sensitivity

Inspired by the article "Let troubles bounce off you: Why you shouldn't assume every frown is your fault" by Gayle Forman.
-- Taken from Self Magazine June 2007 edition page 143.

"But assuming you're responsible for everyone's bad day is narcissistic, not to mention a big burden."

Ask me if you want to know more about the burden part of it.

According to the article (plus some Baker's quotes from the recommended reading below); the following tips will help:

• If you think telling yourself that you're the cause of all the bad things that are happening around the world (wars; earthquakes; etc) - realise that believing that everyone's mood is linked to something you did is just as absurd.


• When you see a friend with a glum face, offer to help instead of taking it personally. Even if your offer is rejected; you'll feel better to have offered.


• Quite possibly; our tendency of 'taking things personally' are due to our guilt - of not being the best friend or partner. "Before bed, ask, Have I done a good job of being a human today?" "If so, stop beating yourself up."

To see if you are over-sensitive; check out this quiz; Are you oversensitive? by NinjaPirate.

If you want to read more on this topic; check out "Over Sensitivity" article from 2KnowMySelf...

More tips on "stop taking things personally":

• Stop taking things personally - part 1 from Self Esteem Newsletter (Sept 2006)


• Stop Taking Things Personally - part 2 by Lisa Brown from Self Esteem

Recommended reading:
"What Happy Women Know: How New Findings in Positive Psychology Can Change Women's Lives for the Better" by Dan Baker (Author), Cathy Greenberg (Author), Ina Yalof (Author).

Being Judgemental

Today's ZenHabits' post talk about something that is quite applicable to me.
The post is titled "A Simple Method to Avoid Being Judgmental (yes, that means you!)". Psst... that TOTALLY means me!!!! :P

“Be curious, not judgmental.” - Walt Whitman
“I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those censorious, self-righteous people around me.” - Anonymous

I've always known that I'm rather judgmental.
I had no problem being judgmental.
Sometimes I even admit it quite happily.
I guess it could be because I grew up in an environment where everyone is judgmental.
The thing is - even though it's extremely easy to be judgmental (Leo - the author of the above post - agrees - he think it's human nature) - it's really not nice when you are being judged.

That is a lesson that I've learnt recently by experiencing the following:
When I am not doing anything wrong, I'm being judged for not doing anything.
When I'm trying to do things right, I'm being judged for not doing it right at one go.
Do 10 things right, they fly by unacknowledged;
Do 1 thing wrong, it is drilled to microscopic level.

Well - what can one do?

Luckily for me - having been on both sides now - I know that there is no point in pointing out to the person being judgmental that they're not helping the situation by judging everything.

In the past, whenever I have a not-so-nice habit/behaviour that affects others - I find that more often that not - the reason I change is because I've realised how it felt to be on the receiver end of the behaviour. It's a little dumb to wait until I have experienced the "pinch" before I change.
But I find this is a quite common behaviour amongst people who do not know better.

I'm not saying to judge the other person back so that they learn the lesson. (In which case it wouldn't work anyway - cause once they have started judging you; your judgement no longer has weight to them. :P)
What I meant is more that life experiences will normally help us in being less and less judgmental.
Reading something like the above article definitely will not hurt too.
Leo reckons we should all start by being aware when we're being judgmental and move from there (see Leo's DUAL method mentioned).

Leo also said "... I don’t think it’s always useful to us. We look down on others, as if we are so much better … and that creates division between people."

As with many other things - realizing and admitting that what we are doing something that is not-so-nice - is the first step to improvement...

Pink Piggies

Dedicated to my li'l sis:
from "Pink Piggy Appeal Day @ NAB"

Blog Template Update Dilemma

Yup... I am once again in the search for the right blogger template...

I really like my current template. How can I not? It's SOOOOOO pretty!
But ... (of course there is a but - why else would I be looking for a new template?) :P
I would also really like to have the posts count visible for each Archive period; see highlighted below in red box.The above screen shot is off "Fleur" template offered by BlogCrowds.

Along with that, I would also love to have category / label clouds, as per featured below.
The above screen shot is off "BlogU"- which discuss topics on how to personalized your blog. Sample articles below:

• My Category Cloud Finally


• Peek-a-Boo NavBar

The author, Annie also has another very pretty blog called ButterMilkClouds

Anyway - the Classic Blogger Template do not have template tag for post-count (as far as I know).. Pssst... I'm very happy to be proven wrong for this! It also does not directly support Category Clouds - though I could possibly do it through del.i.cio.us - it won't be as fun!

Sigh... dilemma dilemma dilemma.

One thing I know for sure, pipi will be happy if I decided to change my template! :P

I've got couple options in mind... but none as suited to me as this one yet!

• Fleur - BlogCrowds


• Summer Love - BlogCrowds


• Free Templates - Final Sense


• Blue Flowers - FreeSkins


• Pink Scrolls - FreeSkins


• Decayed - CSS Design Template


• Beautiful Day - CSS Design Template

Also, this post claims to have 3000 over blogger templates - might be worth checking out. Plus Blogger Templates and BlogFlux also looks interesting..

Cheerios!

Steve Pavlina's Interesting Thoughts

In January 2006, Steve Pavlina talked about Understanding Family Relationship Problems. I find some points that he made in this post extremely relate-able. Thought I do wish there is a clearer line between right and wrong instead of it being a choice. Snippets below...

For example, consider a problematic relationship between yourself and another family member. Suppose you hold the belief that you must be close to every family member simply because they’re related to you. Perhaps you’d never tolerate this person’s behavior if it came from a stranger, but if the person is a relative, then you tolerate it out of a sense of duty, obligation, or your personal concept of family. To push a family member out of your life might cause you to feel guilty, or it could lead to a backlash from other family members. But genuinely ask yourself, “Would I tolerate this behavior from a total stranger? Why do I tolerate it from a family member then?” Exactly why have you chosen to continue the relationship instead of simply kicking the person out of your life? What are the beliefs that perpetuate the problematic relationship? And are those beliefs really true for you?
...
If you operate under the belief that family is forever and that you must remain loyal to all your relatives and spend lots of time with them, I want you to know that those beliefs are your choice, and you’re free to embrace them or release them. If you’re fortunate enough to have a close family that is genuinely supportive of the person you’re becoming, that’s wonderful, and in that situation, you’ll likely find the closeness of your family to be a tremendous source of strength. Then your loyalty to family closeness will likely be very empowering.

He also advices that to have a Soulful Relationships; we need to change our mindset about people.

"Everyone you meet in your life — even total strangers — is already intimately connected to you. The idea that we are all separate and distinct beings is nothing but an illusion. We are all parts of a larger whole, like individual cells in a body."

In April 2006, he blogged about Self-Acceptance vs. Personal Growth. His thought on the topic seems very logical yet foreign at the same time to me. I'm so used to measuring everything. What do we have inside of us? Refer some snippets below...

Why does there seem to be a conflict between self-acceptance and growth anyway? I think the conflict is actually a result of a particular mindset. I’ll refer to it as the linear mindset.
...
Trying to apply the linear mindset to your self-image creates the conflict between self-acceptance and growth. Instead of merely measuring various aspects of your life and noting how they change over time, you identify with them.
...
Instead of rooting your sense of self in your position, which is changeable, what would happen if you rooted your sense of self in something permanent and unchangeable? Stop identifying yourself with any form of positional status, and pick something invulnerable instead… like a pure concept that nothing in this world can touch. Examples include unconditional love, service to humanity, faith in a higher power, compassion, nonviolence, and so on.
...
What I’m really getting at here is inner peace. When you keep your sense of self away from third-dimensional positions, your position can rollercoaster all over the place, and you can still be at peace on the inside no matter what happens. You don’t have to withdraw and be totally passive. You can enjoy being an ambitious overachiever and set and achieve goals like a maniac — and have a great time doing it. But meanwhile you don’t seek your identity in those fluctuating outcomes.

Moreover, if you are like me - lost in the middle of the hectic modern life and uncertain of your life direction - these links below (Special Thanks to Shanon :P) could be useful:

• How to discover your life purpose in about 20 minutes (Jan 2005)


• The Meaning of Life: Intro (Jun 2005)


• The Meaning of Life: How Shall We Live? (Jun 2005)


• The Meaning of Life: Discover Your Purpose (Jun 2005)


• The Meaning of Life: From Purpose to Action (Jun 2005)


• The Meaning of Life: Transitioning (Jun 2005)


• The Meaning of Life: Conscious Evolution (Jun 2005)


• Levels of Consciousness (Apr 2005)


• Are You a Lightworker or a Darkworker? (Mar 2007)


• Darkworkers, Lightworkers, and Levels of Consciousness (Mar 2007)

"Four Profound Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz

“Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.”
- Don Miguel Ruiz

The relevant definition of "Profound" (from WordNet Search):
(adj) fundamental, profound (far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something) "the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred"; "the book underwent fundamental changes"; "committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance"; "profound social changes"

The four simple yet profound agreements which can be used as important tools on the path to personal freedom are:

1. Be impeccable with your word. *
"Therefore, to put another down or project negative words or energy towards another person, is to lash out at the other person because of our own insecurities."

2. Don’t take anything personally. *
"What anybody thinks about you, or says about you, is really about them."

3. Don’t make assumptions. *
"And not only do we believe our assumptions about what other people are thinking, but then we end up taking those assumptions personally and even end up resenting the person."

4. Always do your best.
"Agree to always do your best, with love and acceptance for the imperfect divine human that you are."

Taken from Four Profound Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz at RirianProject; which refers to The Four Agreements, a famous book by Don Miguel Ruiz.

* Might be an extremely good advice for someone like me...

For All the Sleep-Deprived People...

Here's a few interesting links to article about "sleep":

• 11 Ways to Sleep Better [RirianProject]


• Top 10 Ways to Sleep Smarter and Better [LifeHacker]


• Reprogram your sleep patterns [LifeHacker]


• 10 foods for a good night's sleep [LifeHacker]


• 9 Little Known Ways To Sleep So It Counts [RirianProject]


• 6 Sleep Tips [LifeHack.org]


• 8 Tools For 8 Hours Of Energy-Boosting Sleep [RirianProject]


• How to Sleep More Effectively, Starting Tonight [RirianProject]

When all of the above doesn't work, I would recommend resort to cuddles :P

Dedicated to my special someone...

Several "Better Photography in 60 Seconds" Tips

For quite a lot of people, photography is something that you can't help but be engaged in to a certain level.. Scenery while traveling, family occasions, friends gatherings, new home - they all scream "Take Pictures!!!" - well, they do to me (I hope that's normal)...

That's why I reckon this link from idigitalphoto could come in handy:
Improve Your Photos in 60 Seconds.

It has tips on various categories; i.e. Light; Landscaping; People; Color; Composition; Being Ready.

Hope you find it useful!

Another haircut :)

"How Much Is Enough? The Nature Of Fulfillment"

This post is inspired by the "Your Money Or Your Life: How Much Is Enough? The Nature Of Fulfillment" post from The Simple Dollar.

As per stated in the above post, the questions below are taken from the "How Much Is Enough? The Nature Of Fulfillment" chapter of the "Your Money or Your Life" book (refer pg 113 - 128 in paperback version of the book).

Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?
A: Profession wise; I remember it constantly changes.
As a kid - I have gone through phases wanting to be a teacher (so that I get to give out homeworks and punishments :P); an architect; a pilot; a business-woman in suits that has her own office in a sky-craper.
When I was introduced to computer; programming attracts me big time (my Mathematical skill helps). So, I went through high school year wanting to be a nerdy programmer that works day and night; wears t-shirt and jeans; eat junk food and drink Coke Zero all the time.
Now that I'm working as a "Software Consultant" in a tall bank building (private office not included) - I want to be an interior designer; or an event organizer; or a magazine-writer; or maybe I secretly still want to ben intelligent casual programmer.
Personally though; I've always wanted to be an always-well-groomed and pretty-looking lady with easy-going personality that successfully charmed people each and every time with her loveliness. (Yes, go and laugh out loud - just make sure I'm not around! :P)

Q: What have you always wanted to do that you haven’t yet done?
A: I would love to try living in another city (New York preferably) and start building my own life from scratch - doing the things that I want to do and avoid the things that I should do but do not enjoy doing as much as possible.
I would also love to travel around the world with a great companion.

Q: What have you done in your life that you’re really proud of?
A: Not sure - I guess it could be my thesis (which content I don't remember anymore); or maybe of my work life (which I'm a little bored of atm).
Geez - I really don't know what I'm really proud of at this stage - will come back to this question some other time when I have something more to be proud of.
Mmm... I'm rather proud of myself. Of my decisions (lately). Of the things that I do (to a certain point). Actually... I know! I am VERY proud of the people around me. They're everything that I have. My family; my 'companion' and my close friends. I'm VERY.. VERY proud of them. They're the best of the best!

Q: If you knew you were going to die within a year, how would you spend that year?
A: I would spend as much time as I could with my family, beau and close friends - travelling around the world; see and try as much things as I can.
Mmmm.. and maybe get 'hitch'-ed? :P

Psst... I will also try to lose weight - I want to die slim! hahaha :P

Q: What brings you the most fulfillment - and how is that related to money?
A: Programming used to bring me MOST fulfillment. The joy of completing a piece of program. The proud feeling I get by looking at my pretty and neat code that knows how to do 'one thing' very well. The "IHHHHHH - GEMES!" (pardon the Indo) feeling that I get when debugging a problem in my program - that follows with the sense of accomplishment when the problem is solved. Technically, this should be the one thing that's earning me money - and it is; but it's not like what I imagined it to be. (+ $$$)
Travelling (with the right people) also gives me a big fulfillment. It costs money - sometimes big pile of it. (- $$$)
Lastly, looking at my balanced accounts through Microsoft Money in my well-organized laptop (even more so when I have $$$ in my Savings account). Mmm.. It is about money and being organized... :P (? $$$)
Learning something new - always gives me big fulfillment. Most of the time; it costs money. (- $$$)

Q: If you didn’t have to work for a living, what would you do with your time?
A: Travel; Spend Time with My Family/Beau/Close-friends; Take Pictures; Read; Browsing House Magazines; Try New Things and Blog about Them.

Q: How do you answer these questions?
A: I'm not very sure what is the answer to this question. But I'll try - I guess I answered the above questions as honest as I can. I like the questions. They're very interesting and they dig out a few things that I have forgotten.

P.S.: Thanks for the correction on 'hitch'-ed, darling!

"The Weirdest Insects in the World"

Euw...

I don't quite understand why on earth I feel the urge to check out this article; considering that I find these creatures extremely yucky. Yucky may even be an understatement... In fact, they could be considered the main feature of my nightmares.

Anyway - for those of you who might be interested... check out this Digg link below!
http://www.neatorama.com/2007/10/08/the-weirdest-insects-in-the-world/

Melbourne Marathon 07 October 2007

The complete group photo:Feat: Dhaminda, me, Shanon, Bernie, Adam, Raf and baby Gali (L-R)

Check out other pictures at my Flickr Melb Marathon photo set... Also, more official pictures available here!

Yay - My finish time for the 5.5km Yarra Walk/Run was 00:44:54!!!

More info about the event here!

Financial Tips

Reality: "Every time you buy anything, you sacrifice a bit of your dreams."
-- posted by Trent @ The Simple Dollar

Find more facts in the 'Five Personal Finance Lessons That Rocked Me Like A Hurricane When I Figured Them Out' article...

Sample mistakes: "A windfall is something to use on a giant splurge."
-- posted by Trent @ The Simple Dollar

Taken from the 'The Bad Lessons My Parents Taught Me About Money - And How I Plan To Avoid Teaching Them To My Children' post.

Food Obsession: "Ultimate Cookie Recipe" and "Food Presentation" Weblinks

I ... am in search for the "Ultimate Cookie Recipe"!!!

Cookies are very appealing..
The smell of them (even the instant ones) in baking are amazing..
Up till now; walking past "Famous Amos" in Melbourne Central always tickle my nose with the yummy smell...

Here I got some links which reckon that their cookies recipes are one of the 'Ultimates'..

• Iron Chef's Steven's Ultimate Cookie


• The Ultimate Caramel Chocolate Pecan Pie


• The Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Cookie


• The Ultimate Chewy Oatmeal Cookie


• The Ultimate Cookie


• Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookies

Which one should I try first? :)))

On the *food-note*; I also have some links that talks bout "Food Presentation" below:

• Recipe Tips


• Living.OneIndia


• Suite 101

My 25th Bday Gathering Snapshots

Midnight Cake Celebration :P
-20th September 2007-

Dinner w the Gals @ KumDen :P
-23rd September 2007-

Family Dinner @ Ling Nam :)
-26th Sept 2007-

Bonus Pic:
Two scary monsters @ Max Brenners..
-26th Sept 2007-

My Bday Gifts This Year

Meet Scott and my new camera...
Thx Louisa, lek-but-yong and Shanon :P

Meet the cutesie Mino, Divina and Boris!!!
Thanks darling.. :)

Elly's Hand-picked tulips and Cou-Ni's Hand-made cake..
Thanks galz!! :))

Cou Ni's Hand-made Cake (Again?)
Well, it was Yummy and Pretty!!! Show some appreciation... :P

My Back Detox Voucher! :P
Thx my lovely gals...

How to Take a Compliment - LifeHack.org

Boo!

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who needs to read this post..
"How to Take a Compliment".

*LOL* Hahaha...

Can't VS Won't

Found a very interesting title in my LifeHack.org feeds today;
"Say Won't Instead of Can't"...

Hmm .. I wonder where will this take me to ...

So, I quickly browsed the page and discovered that it leads to one interesting article;
"One Word that Can Change Your Reality and Really Piss Off Other People";
at SelfMadeChick.

Preview of the article below...

"The word that I almost completely removed from my vocabulary was “CAN’T” and the word I replaced it with was “WON’T.”
I’m telling you, this sounds so simple and perhaps inconsequential until you actually try it yourself."
...
You may find that you can in fact “buy that car” but may “choose not to” buy that car. This is much more empowering than you going around thinking that you CAN’T buy that car.
I’ve studied this phenomenon over the past 4-5 years and I’ve found that the more successful a person is, the less often they say the word can’t. Unsuccessful people use the word can’t constantly.

Will definitely give this a try...

At most, how much would you pay for dessert?

How about US$14,500 for the world's most expensive dessert; i.e. a serving of "Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence" (picture below)?



The dessert, featuring a gold leaf Italian cassata flavoured with Irish cream, served with mango and pomegranate compote and Dom Perignon champagne sabayon - decorated with a chocolate carving of a fisherman clinging to a stilt -- an age-old local fishing practice -- and an 80-carat aquamarine stone, is currently offered in The Fortress Hotel in Galle, Sri Lanka.

Other pages that talk about this dessert:

• Taste.com.au


• Sri Lanka News


• Wealth Wonders


• CNN.com

I'm very much a dessert person (ask anyone who knows me) - but to justify spending US$14,500.00 on a dessert? I might need to get either insanely rich or actually insane!! :)

Ahhhh I wish I can cook!!!

Bored!
So I went and browse Freddy's blog . Discovered one of his Inspirational Links; "Cooking Cute"...
Web browsing journey continues until I found this ...

The photo was taken from http://www.cookingcute.com/gallery/gallery_021407.htm.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo CUTE!!!!

I wish I'm a cook!

My New Hairstyle?

What do you think? :))))

Quotes of the Day (21/9)

The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught.
- Marquis de Vauvenargues

This morning, for the first time ever, I had a yummy coffee.
I don't think I've had such a well blended creamy skinny latte (the creamy essence makes me strongly doubt that it's skinny).
Oh well - if it's not - at least that partially explains why it tasted so yummy to me - maybe it's just because I've never had full cream latte (or maybe I don't remember the taste of full cream latte).

Anyway - this whole yummy skinny latte thing pops a thought into my head.
I have always thought that yummmy coffee does not exist. It definitely is not the type of drink that makes me go "Mmmm.." (the way hot choc does). It's more the type of drink that I have when I don't get enough sleep.
But, now it occurs me, my thought is not correct. All the time I've said 'I don't love coffee because it isn't yummy' is basically because I've never had yummy coffee and NOT because it does not exist. Which takes me to the next thing...

How do we know if the thing we've been having/doing is the thing that we "love" to have/do without trying all the available varieties?

The moment of finding out something that I've thought for a long time is not true has happened to me quite a bit.. Like the time where I realised that...

• "Hey - it's possible to have gal friends that love to go crazy along with you instead of thinking you're crazy for being so loud and noisy.."


• or "Hey - it's possible to like someone intensely and love the same person.."


• which leads to ... "Yeah - it's NOT normal to love someone and like someone ELSE quite heavily.."

So - back to the questions - "how do we know that this thing that we think is our 'FAVORITE' is truly our favorite?" "how do we measure to which extents we like this thing?" "how do we measure most?" "when to stop trying all the available varieties without feeling like we're settling?" "how do we know when we are settling or not?"

All questions no answers. *TADA!*

If you are to judge me, then please take into account that this is my 'early-morning-just-had-coffee' thought. :P

Anyway - I'm hoping that soon I'll find out that it is possible to have a job that I love which also earns me BIG FAT money... :P
Like the 'Lauren Gallagher' lady - who earns LOTS of money through selling wedding cakes in her popular Cake Boutique - from the book that I'm reading at the moment, "Dress Rehearsal" by Jennifer O'Connell.

My Happy Little PUPSit Family

Boris as the tough guy

Mino as the weird lady

Divina as the starry kiddo

Aren't they extremely cute????
Check out the rest of the gang here!
More pics here!

Yippy Yippy Yippy.. Kaye!!! :)

Plus, if you like this kind of things - check out One Red Robin's page... She made the cutest doll ever! :)

The Valuable Thing

"The support of someone you truly care about,
and who truly cares about you as an equal,
is more valuable than anything else."
-- by Trent from The Simple Dollar

Check out his post here!!!

My Daily Horoscope (Virgo) for the day

8/31/2007

You're spoiling for a fight, so make sure you pick a good one! If there's nothing happening in your personal life, you may want to choose a political cause and get involved. You can do a lot of good!

-- from Astrology.com

Sigh... Virgos are a little twisted in the head? :P

Dear Pipi...

"With You in Your Dreams" by Hanson

If I'm gone when you wake up
Please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up
It's not goodbye
Don't look back at this time as a time
Of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me
'Cause I'll be with you in your dreams
Oh I'll be with you, oh oh

But If I'm gone when you wake up
Please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up
Don't ask why
Don't look back at this time
As a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me
'Cause I'll be with you in your dreams

Oh oh

Don't cry, I'm with you
Don't cry, I'm by your side
Don't cry, I'm with you
Don't cry, I'm by your side

And though my flesh is gone, whoa
I'll still be with you at all times
And although my body's gone, oh
I'll be there to comfort you at all times

Oh oh

But If I'm gone when you wake up
Please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up
Don't ask why
Don't look back at this time
As a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me
'Cause I'll be with you
I'll be with you in your dreams

Oh, I'll be with you
Oh
I'll be with you in your dreams
I'll be with you
I'll be with you

I don't want you to cry and weep, oh
I want you to go on living your life
I'm not sleeping an endless sleep, oh
'Cause in your heart
You have all of our good times
Oh, all of our good times
Oh oh you have

And if I'm gone when you wake up
Don't ask why
Don't look back at this time
As a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me
'Cause I'll be with you in your dreams

Oh
I'll be with you in your dreams
I'll be with you
Oh
I'll be with you
I'll be with you in your dreams
I'll be with you in your dreams...

P.S.: I'm very very very sorry for your loss... Love you my friend.