Out with restaurants and business-wanna-be!

Following a very disappointing, not to mention overpriced 'Continental crap' food at Bangsar Tea For Two last night with my dear besch friend, my food (mis)fortune continues today.

As an attempt to do the date thing with hubby, we left daughter at home with babysitter aka kakak, and went out. With absolutely no aim, no destination whatsoever. It's not intentional, but such is Kl life, where the hell to go if you r not going out to eat/drink/shop??

We remembered about a certain screening of an indie film at KL-Pac- which is free of charge, and that motivated us to give it a try. Being the complete opposite of artsy-fartsy type (the farting my hubby can do very well though),

I brace myself and hope that I'm pleasantly surprised. Surprised I was, but pleasant it sure wasn't. We kept giving the movie another 5 more minutes, but after 20minutes, we couldn't take anymore of this torture, and left. First time in my life, I abandoned a movie. It was that bad.

So we decided to give the Sentul Koi Centre/ Japanese Tea House at Kl Pac a try. My my, it certainly look promising. Such perfect environment to be sipping tea while reading my good ole trusty book in my handbag.

looks like a good start to a nice lovely afternoon tea, no?

As we were too full after a heavy breakfast, we ordered minimum food. Just to sample, and have a feel of their fare for our next dinner here. (Yes, the surrounding ambient is that nice, green & lovely). But the nice feeling stops there.

miserable salmon and son-of-a-gun toughest craPstick ever

The waiter is hardly enthusiastic to be serving, doing is job half heartedly. I ordered temaki to try. Salmon & Unagi.

And we were served...Salmon and CALIFREAKINFORNIA temaki. And there were no patrons whatsoever to add to his confusion. No, just us, ordering two temaki and mineral water. Very simple order really.

I'm prepared to chow down the Cali temaki, but I just gotta inform dear mr crabby waiter that he screwed up my order. Without a word of sorry, he wanted to change it for me, unapologetic-ally. Not a word of sorry.

The salmon was thinly sliced, faded orange, a tell-tale sign that it's been left in the freezer for way over it's lifespan. One bite into it, and sure enough, it's bland and tasteless. I think IkanKembung would taste better. The cali roll contained two tough crapstick (yes, the mispelling IS intentional). Another casualty of the freezer.

After last night's encounter at 'Uncle Ben's Western Food Hawker stall' masquerading as this glamorous restaurant serving good looking but bad tasting food, I'm really peeved at people's business attitude nowadays.

I think, if you are not serious about your business, it shows.
If you don't take pride in what you do, it shows.
If you are taking people for a ride, it shows.
If you are in business just for the sake of money, it shows.

In this economy landscape, with competition abound, globalisation, it irks me to see shitty entrepreneurs with shitty attitude running their business.
They think they can get away with it.

They think people have no choice but to spend money at their place. Hiring shitty wait/sales staff, shitty quality merchandise/food, shitty customer management, shittier damage control... and they want to get rich from their business.

You get rich by adding VALUE and giving VALUE to other people- it's just a simple concept that many can't grasp.

I'm certainly not spending my good money on bad service, bad food, bad businesses! Get outta of here already.

Someone up there must be crazy

I tell you, God (by that, I'm not refering to any particular religious figure) must be having a field
day when he created Woman.

For WHY did he make us:

1. Suffer 9 whole months when we are pregnant
2. Go thru mother of all pain when we deliver
3. Got fat after that
4. Have to forgo favourite food to slim down after that
(The Men just have fun, don't they)
........

AND if we don't get pregnant...

5. Suffer EVERY month with periods- which have no fun/happiness/health/ spiritual benefits whatsover except that they are a bloody mess, make our face break out...and

CAN'T SWIM FOR A FREAKING F****** WEEK!!!! (this is really the whole point of my ranting)


This cycle automatically repeats itself (oh, if not, you are in another sort of health trouble, see, I told you he's having a field day) until you hit 50 or so.

Then, you suffer with the symptoms of menopause.

Yes, he must be having fun when he created Woman.

%^$#@^&*&(*&*)(*&^%%^@@#$%@****

Brain ain't thinking

It's one of those days- where I feel like my mind is blank, I have a blank stare ahead, yet deep within, there's an itch I couldn't reach (NO! I don't hv STD, you squirrel brain!)

It's those I got so much to do and think, and worry, worry , worry, that I just felt like...ta pau-ing and just go away. Maybe back to Penang, and pig out on all those yummy foods (bless the food blogs for whetting my appetite)

It's one of those days, that I think, is this it? Is this really it? Really? Really weally eally? Really meally eally teally really it? (OK, you get the drift).

And I can't think SHIT when I'm in these moods. I can't think productive stuffs for my biz, I can't think of action plans, can't think of anything. But just sigh...getting away.

THOUGH, getting away- my rational self always tells myself- it's just temporary escapism. You'll come back to the same thing if you don't solve it, goddamn it.

So, here we go on a merry go round of emotions, should do, should not, could have, could've beens...

Just get me outta here

Idiotic Malaysian radio ads

I wonder why a lot of Malaysian radio ads have these traits:

1. High pitched female voice (think badly dubbed Japanese cartoon)

2. They sounded alike

3. Mother & son sounds more like lovers (cue: Fitness Concept ads)

4. They ALL laugh for NO particular reason at the end of the ad.
Let's all go to ABC Company now! HA HA HA HA HAH HAH HAAAAH.....

I don't find it funny at all.

Either we have idiots as clients AND/OR idiots advertising agencies.

HA HA HA HA HAAAH HAAA

I've discovered a new love

Thanks to whoever that invented the mirror- about a couple of weeks back, when I look at my reflection in the mirror upon putting on my bikini, my brain tells me this: That's it, ENOUGH deceiving! You better put a stop to this nonsense, lady!

With a Urgh, plus a disgusted expression, I agreed with my brain. It's time to get down to business.

Bikini- I hereby sentence you away in my cupboard temporarily. No more delaying of buying my very 1st ONE PIECE swimsuit to start my self procrastinating swimming habit at home.

One piece criteria- it has to be moderately modest as I'll be in public scrutiny. It's different when you r away on holiday, you can be covered with mere dental floss for all you care.
It has to be kinda stylish. No fat straps, nor T-back for me.

So, I went marching to Mid Veg Royal Sporting House- and I found it. Though I had a bit of a problem trying to decide on my final two PINK Speedo choices. (a girly girl likes her pink!)
Hubby made it right for me, the other choice will make me feel uncomfortable for condo swimming. I may cause some old uncle to die of heart attack, as it's sssssssss sizzling hot!

At last, I settled on Speedo everything- from goggles to condom cap (that's what my hubby calls them!). Anyway, nothing can be as bad as looking f**, and since I intend to swim very frequently, I want to lessen the damage to my hair, so there!

Excitedly, I had my maiden swim. Now, you've gotta understand, I never learn swimming before, so my freestyle always left me panting midway of pool, and I'm always very self conscious of how idiotic I looked when I swim the strokes incorrectly.

Surprise of surprises, it must be the condom cap! God must have taken pity on me for looking like a dork, and decided to put some of my strokes right (I hope). I actually ENJOYED my swim, tremendously!

And now I constantly find myself, thinking, no, CRAVING for a swim very often! I crave for a swim when I woke up, and see sunny skies, I crave for a swim in the middle of meeting, I crave for a swim whenever I have yet another tiff with hubby dearest.

It seems to be my escape! I felt liberated, in control, calm when I do my laps. Yes, I do laps now!! Another secret, I never really swam proper before! It was a lap or two, then at the poolside, flapping around.

Writing this makes me wanna go swim now, even. Don't mind if it's twice in a day!
Now...wouldn't this kind of craving be HELPFUL for craving of another 'horizontal activity'...

What marriage is NOT about

Many movies likes to show big happy ending of a couple finally tying the knot, big smiling faces, the warmth, the celebration of two people uniting. And you leave the cinema feeling, ahhh......they are together at last, happily ever after, The End.

As a sequel to that movie, the plot should be moving towards that very couple, arguing about money, having sleepless nights over baby, trying to find balance amongst all while trying to heaven forbid- not let the fire die in their relationship.

Enter Reality- Getting married just marks the end of a life phase (no, no, its not that bad as the end of your life! Though sometimes it feels like it :-P)...and the start of another chapter.

Another chapter where you suddenly find the person you thought you knew the most can sometimes turns out to be a stranger. Who is this? Why has this person never surfaced pre-marriage??!!

And whoo-hoo, tell me about the great S word now that you are married. Make it married with kids.

Throw a stone to couples out there, ask this- how many of you have sex less than once a week, or sheesh...once a month! And you'll hear, guilty as charged.


For how can one feel sexy and be sexual (now this applies more for women than men- cause well, you know men, two 'heads' certainly doesn't think alike)

...how can one feel sexy when you have forgotten what it feels like to be a Woman- to be you; prior to all these juggling act of work, cooking, kiddies homework, dancing around in-laws sneaky landmines, responsibilities, responsibilities, work, work, work, etc?!


When's the last time you & your life partner have a really good night out together- where your focus is on each other. Just like in the early stages of relationship? Or you'll go out, and you talk about kids & work.


When's the last time you see your life partner as a Person, an INDIVIDUAL instead of the hats they wear, wife, hubby, father, mother?


When did you stopped discovering about each other? And start ASSUMING and PRE-JUDGING each other instead?


For everything a good marriage should be- it's not about losing yourself, your identity...

and it's certainly not about losing sight of each other.

Remember- Me Inc

Was preparing to go out with hubby for dinner at where else Gardens Mid Valley (this has become our fav neighbourhood convenience store- get everything from groceries, presents, toiletries, movies, dining out, happy hours, banking, business appointments...you name it)

...and back to my story, was changing my clothes to head out for dinner. Felt like dining out with hubby, just the two of us, no kids, NO talk about biz, and I want to look good just for a bit.

Since its our neighbourhood store, where you see me almost always dressed (you called it dressed?!) in very very casual outfits, I thought I put on a jeans, and choose a nice top to go with. After two failed attempts, I picked a long forgotten pleasant cotton halterneck top. And I caught myself hesitating for a while, is this too nice for Mid Valley?

And there you have it, I surprised myself how much I've changed. The more I mature, the more mellowed I've become. But it is really me? Or is there a part of me that got submerged in all the routine, the responsibilities, the worries, the to-do's...that I've forgotten how to live...occasionally.

Today I realized, I've unknowingly let the stress of modern life piled on me yet again. Yep, all the signs are showing. Irritations, insomnia, the suffocation feeling- the I need to get out!! feeling.

Luckily, my dear girl friend Minsch is back in KL. And we sort of have this flow with it consensus that we should nurture our friendship a wee bit more- action plan # 1: we'll catch up more compared with last time where we don't even call/text each other for weeks & months.

So, we have arranged a girly date this Sat for some nice din & drinks, and loads of yik yakking. SOS!
I can't remember the last time we done that, go out on a Sat. It's been years maybe? GOSH!

No wonder I lost myself. No wonder I started dressing down a tad too much, work a bit too much (yes or no? the thing with my work is, sometimes the line crosses between work & interest therefore there's a tendency to work past the hour coz i got too engrossed in it), worry way too much, temper flared up definitely over the quota (bless my hubby)

It is with this, that I decided to put on my nice floral cotton green halterneck top, wore my new nice earrings, put on a bit of make up (hey, c'mon, a girl needs help with her eye circles), fluff up my hair, and off I go. Feeling good, feeling very good.

As it is too easy to be buried under the routine, the blah of a mundane life, completing as many tasks as possible, donning several hats in a day- biz, wife, mother, daughter...than remembering what is life all about, just remember this-

It is a habit to treat yourself well, and very importantly- remember You.