Cheat Work Thursday

(This post is inspired by one of my favourite blogs, yesandyes.org.) 1. "Don't allow outside sources to determine your self-esteem." ~ Sarah Von Bargen, yesandyes. 2. Treat kids with respect. Treat others with respect without first thinking, "Is this person important?" 3. Probably you should wait for the sale. Do you really want these shoes and have been looking for them for a long time? If yes, get them now. If they're just something that you like , and they won't make you lose any sleep if they're sold out, wait for the sale. Don't worry about them being sold out, anyway. There will always be new designs that you'll love in the future. 4. But if you find a top or cardigan that you really, really like -- buy three. 5. Be consistent. Be consistently good. Do it every day. Do it every week: building skills for your work or hobbies, maintaining good relationships with your loved ones, taking care of your health, building wealth. ...

Last year, once again, I didn't manage to send my baju raya to the tailor. I mean, why on earth do we go to the tailor five months before raya? Who would've remembered to do that? Plus, at about the same time, I was rethinking this habit of spending too much money on kebaya. Then when I tried to look for a ready-made kebaya, I realized, "God. This is hard. I should have got it tailor-made. Next year in January, I'm going to take a day off just to get this done. Just me and my baju raya." Well, January was eight months ago... I'm getting raya things this Tuesday: - Baju (a social obligation), kuih and duit raya. - Pecan pie recipe and ingredients. I hope my mother's oven, last used probably in 2006, is still working. I had a buffet lunch with a friend before puasa and really loved the pecan pie they served. I went to get the pie twice and was just a little 🤏🏼 embarrassed when I realized the staff was staring at me scooping the pie like nobody...

Sleep has not been very good this week. But instead of fighting myself to sleep, I spend the night tuning in to MTV, snacking, and finishing some work, or stuff. So last night, I was lying on my bed, thinking of things to do for the night, and saw my Twilight books on the bookcase. I grabbed the book and got to the page where Edward thought 'bachelor parties are designed for those who are sad to leave their bachelor life'. If that's not eyeroll-inducing enough, he is a 17-year-old boy. I scanned through the series and it was a sudden revelation: Edward Cullen is annoying. Why Edward Cullen Is Annoying and Possibly Creepy : 1) He can't help it, he needs to kill the girl that he's 'drawn' to. 2) He skips school as he likes because he's above all this. 3) He reads people's minds. He got bitten, isn't dead and suddenly has superpowers? 4) He has superpowers. How is super fast, super strong attractive? 5) He drives expensive cars with the mon...

(*one point for each) 1) have watched The Hangover and love it. 2) have read The Host, love Ian and now wish you were an alien. 3) are in service and deliver your service not in a way as if you're hating your job and your whole existence (if you do otherwise, try unemployment).  4) use the word 'slaphappy' after your favourite Saturday brunch. 5) read my favourite reading list on the sidebar -- from the beginning. 6) knew that The Blair Witch Project wasn't real the first time you watched it 10 years ago. 7) are my cousin and elope.

I've just (re-)read a couple pages of The Secret. So like a true The Secret convert (it's not difficult to spot us, we have a bright light hovering over our heads), I'm writing down my gratitude list. Plus, I just saw a '100 Things I Am Grateful For' in one of my favourite blogs' archives, so, of course, I should post one too. Naturally, some on my list are inspired by hers. And since I'm hungry right now, half of it may or may not be about food: 1) My reliable, comfortable enough, tiny car. 2) My comfortable enough bed and firm mattress. 3) My bookcases near the window. My favourite spot to take pictures for the blog. It has the best lighting. 4) Flat sandals. 5) My family. (Ok, this list is not in order. I think.) 6) ... which comes my mother's cooking. 7) Twilight books. I now read and watch vampire books and movies. 8) TV. The best tool to help you conserve calories. 9) 10) Raw vegetables. They are yumm...

If I ever have amnesia (which I won't, ever, by the way), my blog won't tell me my real name, but it will tell me: - what TV series I watch. - my list of favourite authors and what a loyal reader I am. - that there are some people who probably got on my nerves, but who exactly, that's tricky not knowing. - that my favourite clothing items are dresses and flat sandals. Thank God because I don't want to come out of an amnesia wearing [ name clothes that I don't like ] and 5-inch heels. - that I don't have a hobby -- so don't worry about not having one after the amnesia. - that I think I love my job . - that I have friends named Ade, Belle, Nobi, Lyle, Ave, Jones, Gene etc. I'll then check my phone and can't find any of the names. - that I'm probably obsessed with Oreos and milk, just like everyone my age, clearly. - that I probably can't cook. - that I may have possibly... MILKED A COW ? - uhm yes, mainly what TV series I watch. He...

Maybe people don't do hobbies nowadays. Maybe we are just happy to spend whatever hours left after work with family and friends... or TV? And I heard Facebook is very addictive? This, of course, does not apply to all, I realize. Only about 97% of people that I know, and this 97% don't watch TV either. To the 3% with a real hobby, congratulations. That includes those who consider fishing a hobby 🥴. Anne Hathaway said on Kimmel that her New Year's resolution is "to do something new every day". Ok, skip hobby, it's something new... I can be very good at that! I can come up with a quick list right now: - Facebook. - Read Harry Potter books. - Watch Harry Potter movies. - Watch Harry Potter movies while not sleeping. - Watch Heroes. - Fishing (the horror). - Milk a cow. - Scream at the top of my lungs, "HELLO WORLLDDDDDD!!!!" from my bedroom window. - Have tea with my neighbour. - Find out my neighbour's name. - Wash my curtains...

1. When was the last time you ran? Last Thursday. 2. Do you own jeans with rips, tears and holes on them? I don't anymore . 3. What are you dreading right now? It was a busy three-day weekend. I dread looking at the chaos in my room. 4. When was the last time you saw your significant other? Yes. 5. Do you get the full eight hours of sleep every night? Usually. 6. Have you ever been in your school’s band? Yes, in primary school. 7. Do you eat raw cookie dough? Not anymore. 8. Do you hate it when a radio ruins a song by playing a slow one after it? I don't think a slow song ruins the previous one. I only think the prank calls they now have on many morning shows are not funny. 9. Have you ever stayed on line a long time waiting for someone? On line as in phone? 24 minutes, for a pay TV customer service. Times three. I put the phone on speaker and managed to put on some face mask and clip my nails while waiting. 10. Could you live without a computer? Sur...

1) Best invention McDonald's 24-hour Drive-Thru 2) Best clean slate A new country 3) Best door opener Money 4) Best laughing and tear gas Complete Seasons 1 - 10 of Friends DVD 5) 6) Best neighbour One who minds own business 7) Best sleeping pills Accomplishments during the day 8) Best life plan Moving on 9) Best booster A new haircut 10) Best mouth zipper Mirror. Really, really huge mirror.

21) I subscribe to Personal Money, though I find Harper's Bazaar more informative. 22) I'm a light traveller. 23) Except for those used in daily life, I don't like Maths, and I'm not very good at it either, especially Additional Maths. I have yet to find out when to use differentiation and integration. 24) I prefer flats and flip-flops over heels. 25) I have a shelf where I keep travel souvenirs -- my own or gifts from family and friends. If you've given me any, even way back seven years ago, and I like you, chances are you can still find them on the shelf. Nah... I keep all of them anyway . 26) I used to draw portraits. I thought I had the talent -- it turned out to be a false alarm. 27) But I'm good at wrapping gifts. 28) 29) 30) 31) Friends make fun of me -- apparently, I arrange my old magazines colour-coded. No, they aren't colour-coded. They are arranged by alphabet name, then date. (I also feel the need to explain that I don'...

1) I love Monte's in BSC. It was introduced to me by a former colleague I want to forget slap forget. Slightly unfortunate. 2) Superheroes / space / sci-fi movies are the last movies I'd watch. I slept halfway watching Transformers and have never watched Star Wars or Heroes. 3) Sometimes I feel like immediately dropping a few things off my life. 4) Occasionally , I can be obsessed about something. 5) I don't like pets. 6) I can't live without Bobbi Brown makeup (but I can live without makeup. I hope you don't need explanation for this). It's an eye-rolling thing to say, but that's my stance today, and my credit card company loves me for it. 7) I prefer McDonald's or kopitiam's coffee over Starbucks'. 8) I love stalls and the usual local food, except a certain 24-hour Malaysian favourite (you know which). 9) I like ZARA but will never buy from their KLCC store. Once, I got into the shop the same time a lady was going out and ...