Big Bad Wolf Book Sale 2011

I thought this book sale is only for children books (that's why I missed the one last year), until a colleague told me it's for all kinds of books and her photos of purchase convinced me. More importantly, the prices are too tempting, ranging from RM5-RM25. I decided to go right after work.

The place is conveniently located near office, with highway free from traffic, we reached in 20 mins, and walked another 10 mins to reach the exhibition hall - impatient to wait for the feeder bus. It's a Monday, the hall wasn't as crowded as weekend. Books were nicely arranged in categories, and most of them were tidily-stacked brand new books. Boxes were provided as "shopping bag", I even saw a few pushing trolleys and luggage bags for their purchases. We were just strolling along each section, picking and flipping books that look interesting, nothing particular in mind. I picked a few books and proceed to the cashier, so nice to shop during weekdays, the cashier were quite empty.

Let your smile change the world

I always try to give out my best, love to see people leaving the classroom with a smile, or great laugh after a good workout, or even with loads of related questions for me.

Though I can't be the favorite of everyone, I still hold on to my principles, not trying to please everyone, understanding that humans are all individuals knowing what is best for them.

Like what a friend told me today: Let your smile change the world, don't let the world change your smile.

How sweeeeeeet :)

Remembering

Yesterday a student asked whether I used to teach in YogaZone. She followed an ex-YogaZone teacher somewhere else and she finds that our teaching is very similar.

So glad to know that people still remember YogaZone. Although is no longer exist, its teaching and spirit will always continue.

How to stick to new year's resolutions

Many of us like to set a list of new year's resolutions for ourselves. It may be learning a new language, joining a dancing class, quit smoking or stop being a workohalic and spending more time with family and friends. But most of the time we either procrastinate or we stop doing it after a few tries. And another year is gone.

How to stick to new year's resolutions? These are what we can do.

1. Reminder
Set the time slot for your new activity in your handphone/Outlook calendar with beeping reminder at least a day before, so you do not have excuses on last-minute reminder and have not prepared for it. You can have post-it notes on your PC monitor, mirror, wardrobe, fridge; anywhere that is often visible to you but it's private.

2. Companionship
Doing it with your spouse/friend/siblings/cousins, so that you can motivate and reminding each other. Doing something new in a new environment with a campanion helps to relieve the fear, nervousness and shyness too.

3. Rewards
Rewards always increase motivations. Treat yourself to a spa/massage or buy a pretty dress to reward yourself for a month's hardwork of Pilates.

4. Sidetrack
If you are planning to quit a bad habit, find something else to do to sidetrack your usual habit. Whenever you think of picking up the packet of potato chips for your DVD time, reach for an apple instead.

5. Enjoy it!
Enjoy what you are doing. Nobody will procrastinate or forget to do the things they enjoy.

6. Most importantly, START it now :)

When migraine strikes

I love teaching (or should be sharing knowledge of) yoga. But there were times I felt reluctant to go to class, that’s when migraine strikes. While struggling with the pain in my head, I struggled to send out the class cancellation email. Skipping my own class is more guilty compared to skipping other's classes, especially they only got to practice once a week.

Most of the time I dragged myself to class during these moments. And I never regretted because I always feel good yoga-ing. Even though it’s merely 1 hour it makes me forget about the unendurable pain. The pain do comes back after class (saddest fact is only pain-killer subsides the pain), but I just wish to make myself feel good for as much time as possible in my life.

All the best

Today is a sad day. I couldn't hold my tears for a few times. Only when you lose something, you realised how important it was to you. Sometimes, it's not that you are going to lose it, but you just know it will never be the same again.

However, leaving might not be a bad thing, life goes on. I can only sit here continuing my daily routine and wish all of them Good Luck and All The Best in life~

New hair cut for the new year

I always wanted to try a new hair style, after years of long (rebonding) straight hair. It's not that I'm bored with long hair, but just wanted something different. The more I browse for clothes in irenelim.com, the more I like the hair style of one of the model. I was in JB for a long holiday, so one day after my spa treatment in Cres, I walked to the hair salon next door, full house. Walked to another hair salon at the other corner, also full house. Wah why so many people went for hair cut/treatment/color the same time as I wanted to? I really wanted to have the new hair cut so I just went to a nearby neighbourhood salon and showed the hair stylist the photo. 1/2 hour later, I looked into the mirror, I saw this. Hhmm, somehow it wasn't what I expected. And the worse thing was, the longer part of my hair was much thinner, so it really looks like jelly fish :( (Lesson learned: Don't just simply walk in to some neighbourhood salon for a stylish/modern hair cut)

When I returned to KL, first thing I did was rushing to APT and get a professional hair stylist to get my hair 'fixed'. Thank god, it turned out so much more decent.



I love my new short hair. No need to tie up during class, no more strands falling into my food from the back of my shoulders, no more spending hours blowing dry my hair to make it straighter, felt so much cooler and lighter. More importantly, happier.

Malaysian Tribunal For Consumer Claims

This is 1 place I visited so frequently since Oct this year.

Early Oct, when I knew there's no chance we can join Urban Yoga (as the receiver took over Yoga Zone and turned YZ Damas into Urban Yoga) using my existing membership (need to fork out RM88 per month to re-join), I decided to file for a claim. I went to the Putrajaya branch to request the Form 1, filled in, submitted, and the first hearing was 4th Nov.

I did a mistake by posting the Form 1 to Ferrier Hodgson (the receiver company) using courier service, the court only accept posting by Registered Mail, or by hand. So my case was postponed to yesterday, 25 Nov.

This time I posted the Form 1 by Registered Mail, got the AR card from Post Office and submitted to the court during the second hearing. It really wasn't a happy trip. I reached there at 9AM (as requested in the court letter), the President (a.k.a The Judge) came in and started hearing at 10:10AM, so many cases yesterday and I waited will 11:45AM for mine. Ferrier Hodgson didn't send anyone for the hearing, so I got the award from the court.

I met a girl at there, Lennie, she filled a claim against YZ too. She has her own business of dog boarding home, so interesting! We were chit-chating while waiting for the officers to prepare the award letter. The officers told us it would take a long time and 'invited' us to have our lunch at the cafeteria at Level 1 while waiting (that's why I didn't eat my cold noodle yesterday, as I already left my lunchbox in the office).

Only by 1:25PM, my name was called and I got the award letter.

Happily, I thought I could send the award letter to Ferrier Hodgson today and start counting the days before they issue me a cheque. But Lennie called me yesterday (1 hour after I reached office) and told me that the officer had typed the wrong company name on our award letter :( So this morning I went to return the letter to the tribunal office and have to wait for them to issue me a new one. It's going to take few days (or weeks) for them to prepare, sign, and call me to collect it from them when it's ready.

The process is so tedious, no wonder many members gave up in claiming. Not only the amount that I'm claiming is considered big to me, what I think is I must exercise my rights as a consumer, and not let these 'immoral' companies get off so easily. And yes, I shall bug you till you pay!

Generous bank

Yesterday went to CIMB bank @ Permas Jaya branch, while waiting at the teller for some approval, the bank official came out from his room and told us "Kak sila makan kuih raya di sana ya" (Please have some festive cookies over there), pointing at one corner in the bank.



So generous~ Can we have higher rates in our FDs instead? :D

Foosball

Had a few rounds of foosball games in office today after work.
Still tak puas losing to Kian Yang; because he practiced a lot during lunch hours! :p

Sunset

After a busy week of meeting property agent, calling lawyer, calling and meeting bank officers, finally a day to relax at home.

Looking at the sunset from my apartment window. Beautiful moments always come to an end so soon.

Pineapple tarts from Malacca

I was in Malacca yesterday, drove there from A'Famosa after check-out. Went to buy chicken rice ball for lunch yesterday, and pineapple tarts - which will be my tea time later.

Purple flowers

Sunday @ Pavilion KL

Mum was here for the past weekend and will be here for the rest of the week. To compensate her home-alone-stay for the rest of the week, we filled our weekend with outings:

Sunway Pyramid on Friday night. The main characters of a new Taiwan drama - Hot Shot were there to publicize the show. I forgotten to bring my camera along, but my favourite actor - Jerry Yan didn't come, so nothing lost.

The Curve + Ikea + Ikano on Saturday.

Pavilion KL on Sunday. Don't really like shopping there as everything is branded and expensive. We decided to go there just because mum has never been there.

I often shop here, but seriously that's not the reason of my nick name.

Went to the Food Republic for tea time. Spotted this chandeliers made of recycled mineral water bottles.

Mum's favourite tea-time choice - tea + toast. This place was so crowded that she queued up for 1/2 hour before getting her orders.

One of my favourite fruit - longan, in the Leng Chee Kang dessert soup.

White flowers

While waiting for a carpool friend to get off-work this evening, I went around the office garden and took some photos of flowers.

The first photo that I took and set as my desktop wallpaper not simply because it has BaiBai in it.

My new camera

I always wanted to get a new camera, a smaller one that allows me to easier point-and-shoot. After months of considerations, I still haven't bought one because actually my current one still works fine (waiting for a better reason).

Last week mum mentioned that she wants to get a camera. I suggested to give her my Sony DSC-P8 and I get a new one :p

I decided to get the Canon Ixus 860 because it is said to be 1 of the top compact camera now, even it has been on the market for 1 year.

Went to PC Fair yesterday and the salesgirl at the Canon booth told me, the price has dropped to RM999 (originally RM1299) with some freebies - 2GB + 1GB SD card, leather casing, screen protector, and metal neck strap.

Another promotion for this camera was RM1099 with 4GB + 1GB and other same freebies. At that time, I didn't know what's the price of a 2GB SD card to consider which is a better deal. She adviced me to take the RM999 deal because if I think 3GB is not enough in the future, I can easily get more for cheaper price as it's something that the price drops a lot. I took her advice. (And later I went to check the price of SD cards, 2GB for RM50 :p) By using credit card to pay, I have to be charged extra 1.5% for service charge. She was nice to round up the figure for me to RM1010, and gave me another metal neck strap as compensation. Her service was good and the price is right, it didn't took me long to decide to pay for it.

Rumours were true

Since a month ago, the rumours were all around. From blogs, newspapers, friends...
I didn't want to believe it.
Now that I know it's true, am I angry? No. I'm just dissapointed. Such a nice place, why?
3k+, a lesson learned.
I MUST always remind myself: "No more long term commitment".

Mixed feelings

I have mixed feelings about my trip tomorrow. I'm excited and happy going to a place new to me, waiting to enjoy the sun and sea, but I'm so sad that I'm going to leave BaiBai alone at the pet boarding shop again :( When can we go on a trip together?

One more day

These 2 days I was busy with the Business Requirement Architecture training @ Shah's Village Hotel, PJ. It is an old hotel with Baba Nyonya decorations, nothing fancy, but serves not-too-bad vegetarian food. Besides having to face the heavy traffic in the morning to reach there, life there was pretty relax: class - morning tea - class - lunch - class - afternoon tea - class - home. Like what Keen Yee said: eat and sit the whole day.



One more day, I'll be enjoying the real relaxing life in Bali, was waiting for it since March, since I booked the tickets. Tomorrow, I have to get my FRDs done, attend a midnight conference call to get sign-off, and prepare for takeoff!

Start afresh

Finally I’ve decided to not wait any longer and started another new blog.
I miss the old one. But life goes on.