Let's go to the Car Wash

Sorry for the bad quality picture! Had to adjust the black and white levels in order to make the words legible, and therefore, had to sacrifice on realistic colours :P I took this picture at the petrol station while waiting to fill my tyres with air.

Anyway, I just HAD to display this car wash coupon after I'd read it!

Tank You & Come Again: A misspelt word, or a pun intended to give out subliminal messages to make me fill my tank at BHP? (Didn't work anyway, since after my wash I drove down to Shell)

Wash At Ur Own Risk: Very modern spelling indeed. Also, quite an ominous sentence, don't you think?

And now you have another idea of gifts for Christmas! If you look at the date this coupon is valid until, you'll see that you can purchase coupons a month in advance, and you don't have to use it there and then. So go grab a bunch of these coupons, put them in an angpau and give them away for Christmas! Everyone needs a good car wash.

By the way, stay tuned for the next post, because I'll be bringing you some GREAT testimonials I read in a flyer I picked up that got me cracking up with laughter and has brought so much joy into my life!

Do I enjoy my work?

I sometimes get asked if I enjoy my work.

My answer is usually a simple "Yeah". But really, it does take some thinking about. Do I really enjoy it? I've experienced some bad times and there are also certain aspects of it I love.

Some people don't realise how much goes into running your own studio. See, I have to be everyone rolled into one. By everyone, I mean, everyone in your typical office. Being a designer is just slightly more than half of what I have to be. I gotta service clients, manage finances going in and out, sort out office appliances and check supplies as well. Oh, and be the canteen lady too. Luckily I don't have to clean the toilets. Got someone coming in for THAT hehe.

So when people ask if I enjoy doing what I do... yeah, I enjoy designing. That's the hard part, really. Aside from finding new clients, it's bloody difficult to come up with fresh ideas to use. And I find that working in an agency or design firm tends to make you comfortable and lazy. Well it does for me, anyway. In my own studio, everything comes back to me. Credit for my design and every single sen that comes along with it. And so that pushes me to be more creative, while also making my clients happy hopefully! Win-Win.

Bad clients? Not worth thinking about. Just makes my blood boil and I'd rather think of nicer things, like when I get a completely free hand to do what I like.

I don't understand... why do people think they can advise designers on their area of expertise when they wouldn't advise a lawyer, dentist, construction worker or WHOEVER on their respective fields? If you can bloody design, why don't you be a bloody designer yourself instead of hiring me?

I'm attaching a neat comic strip sent to me by a fellow designer which illustrates one of the things we have to face in daily life.

And yes, I do enjoy my work. But I don't care if you know that. Just give me some respect for doing this all on my own.

Merdeka

So we went to Marketplace on Thursday night to usher in Merdeka.

...cut to 5 hours later...hehe...

As I don't have a lot of time to write this, long story short, there were no fireworks at the Twin Towers!! What a huge disappointment to its many fans at Marketplace! So what was left to do but to drink?

And drink we did. 'Cept for me, cuz I'm not a fan of beer, and it seems there was an unending flow of Carlsberg at our table. I did have two glasses, though, cuz I WON'T BE LEFT OUT! But still didn't enjoy it.

Anyway, that's the update for Merdeka. I think Timstone was having a good time chatting (up?) with some girls there. Hehe. Sorry no pix...

Okay, off to Bangsar now. See y'all.

The Apartment: A restaurant review!

Went to The Apartment at Curve last night with BakerJo.

I liked the place and service - until I found out that they don't sell bottles of liquor! So unless we want a Get Drunk Party on wine (which we half had on GDP I), guess we won't be going there. Besides, BakerJo commented that she thinks it's more a youngies, collegey hangout place. Which is a turn off for me!

I wonder why.

Is it because there is then no one new to meet, or maybe my group make so much noise and the youngies would just sit around sipping cocktails in their fancy, hip outfits and lend a slightly pretentious air to the place? Gah, what do I know?

Anyway, the place had nice chillout music, although I wish it was a bit deeper and funkier... but then, hey, when I was in college, I listened to Café del Mar-esque slow calm music too. The dude who served us wasn't very good in English so had to rephrase my sentences a few times to get him to understand, but it was okay. Although, at one point when we were ordering dessert, the conversation went like this:

Dude: The chocolate mousse and strawberry peach pavlova is nice.
BakerJo: Okay, I'd like to order a Strawberry Peach Pavlova please.
Dude: Yes, the strawberry peach pavlova is nice.
BakerJo: Yeah, it sounds nice.
Dude: It sounds and tastes nice!
Me: Is the chocolate pudding nice too?
Dude: Yes, also the chocolate pudding is nice.
Me: Ooookay, I'll have the chocolate pudding please.
Dude: Okay, just one? (without writing anything on his paper)
Me: Uhh.. yes!

What, there were only two of us there and he thought she was gonna have a pavlova and I was gonna have two puddings to myself? Hmmmm......

In the end, we realised. The dude had only ordered one dessert! What was all that conversation about the pavlova sounding and tasting nice? For fun? Gah... anyway, BakerJo's pavlova came 20 minutes after mine! And mine had already taken 10 minutes to make.

Besides that, the food was nice. Just right. And I surprisingly had 3 courses... we ordered Vin's Portabellas (mushrooms) for starters, which should be shared cuz it's pretty big for 2 girls. I had Jamie's Duck Pasta which was good, BakerJo had steak medium rare, which was done well and she was impressed, 'cept for them slicing the steak up into chunks. Weird. And our dessert was nice too.

Prices were typical of that sort of restaurant. Affordable occasionally for the broke 20-something that I am.

Well, that's it for now. Going out tonight to celebrate Merdeka. Will see how it goes.

Frogway, my review!

Just got back from watching Frogway at BSC.

I would say, definitely watch the show if you can afford the tickets. They're not cheap and I wouldn't have been able to afford to go (me being a broke 20-something) if the tickets hadn't been given to me by a friend. So I don't know if I found it brilliant BECAUSE I didn't have to pay?

But here's my two sen worth.

The cast is brilliant. I've to say the girls outdid the guys in their performances. A few of them absolutely became their characters - Elaine Daly (Susannah Stork) and Chelsia Ng (Shirley the Frogette) were awesome. Of the guys, right now, I am SO attracted to Ash Nair (Freddy the Toad). He looked and performed brilliantly. Vince (Eddy the Frog, the star of the show) was good and even managed to put in some of himself into a typically clichéd character, making Eddy somewhat cute and not boringly predictable.

On the whole, the cast has great voices and technique (to this common ear of mine). And now we come to, of course... Harith IskandEr (of whom I spelt as IskandAr earlier, sorry bout that, didn't know).

I don't know if I'm being prejudiced here, but I felt he was the weakest of the ensemble, when he should really have owned the stage - being the bad guy and one of the more experienced onstage. I felt that he was physically tired somehow. And he didn't own his character, especially as (poor thing) he was always acting alongside Elaine Daly, of whom I have to say, was my favourite of the show (Chelsia was wonderful as a Japanese, but Elaine really seemed to have brought her own thing to the Stork).

So, yeah, I think you should go watch it, Carrot. Especially since you can afford the best seat in the house heheheh... besides, it's for a good cause, in support of Azean Irdawaty, who's undergoing treatment for cancer. She made an appearance today... very courageous woman and a huge inspiration for sufferers and families of sufferers, I feel. Seeing her has made me feel like I could tackle something like that if it ever happened to me or a loved one. Although, of course, I wouldn't want to have to (tackle it).

And yes, I did give slitty eyes to Mr Iskander.

Slitty eyes for Frogway

Got free tickets to watch Frogway at BSC tomorrow.

Hoping it's good... even though Harith Iskandar is in it. Have pretty much disliked him since he tried cutting the queue to enter Bukit Jalil stadium for a concert. Yes, he tried to cut my car right in front of the gates to the stadium and I was bloody pissed off at the brazenness. Not even bloody embarrassed. The rest of us are paying to watch this concert as well, alright? If you come later than the car in front of you, suck it up!

(And it wasn't even like he was waiting outside for an opening to sneak in, he was actually forcing his way in front, which I consider to be even ruder)

See the perils of being famous? Do something wrong and I'll always remember you for it. Tomorrow I'll be watching the show and hoping that it's good fun - but every time Harith comes on it'll be slitty eyes from me, to him.

Holidays soon

Am so looking forward to the end of September.

Not only is it Elle's and Arran's birthday, it's also when Grandpa G comes to visit! That usually is enough to make me hop, skip and jump all the way to the airport, but there is one more reason this time... we're going to Phuket!

Sharry Berry, GT, Teng, Nain, Fatts, Nins and Choons are in the trip as well, so that's gonna be brilliant! Was surfing last night for things to do in Phuket and have now started getting really excited about it. I suppose from thinking of what to buy there.

But anyway, it's a month more, and there's work to be done before that, so I'd better start doing it!

Oh, one more thing, the I Am A Japanese School Teacher link is back on my page! Check it out on the bottom of the sidebar. It's a brilliant, funny editorial on a foreigner's life in Japan. He also updates really often - nearly every day - so don't worry about getting hooked... he'll deliver!

Damn the French!

Yes yes yes!

Yes, I tell you! The French should crawl under a rock and squirm. Or perhaps that's what I should be doing... scummy spendthift that I am.

I walked into L'Occitane today while mum was shopping for clothes and had a full tour of every single item in there by the really helpful salesgirl. Of course, after that, I couldn't help feeling obligated to buy something. BUT ONLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING THERE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!

Dammit!

All the French labels were so inviting. And all the gel tubes looked enticing. Until you see the round plastic jars. Which were so appealing... 'til you come across the round glass jars with irresistible paper labels and French names and descriptions. C'est magnifique! C'est merveilleux!

And so I ended up spending quite a bit of money on ONE item - an orange body scrub. In a round glass jar. With an irresistible paper label. And a wooden spoon to scoop up the gook. Whoa. Cool phrase there - Scoop the Gook, yo!

Oh bloody... time to stop blogging rubbish. Click my beautiful glass jar below to read about it. Though why you should want to, I don't know!

I'm a Bad Girl! *meow!*

Okay, so this post has nothing to do with the title above. That's a private joke.

My mum just said that the lead actor in Wire In The Blood is mildly attractive. I responded by saying that he looks a little like the guy in Quantum Leap. I believe his name is Scott Bakula.

Wow, how long has it been since Quantum Leap? I used to LOVE that show! Does anyone else remember it?

Goodness me, my mum just turned to me and asked, "Do you want to have a baby?". I'm sitting at the dining table nicely blogging and facebooking, and she's watching Wire In The Blood, right, and out pops that question? Uuuuhhhhhhhh........ what's even more disturbing is that she was watching the part on TV where this girl had been chopped alive and her blood was smeared all over the walls of her flat. Rrriiiiiggghhhhhtttttt...... are you saying that reminds you of giving birth to me?

Anyway, hey, to those who read this blog, I'd love it if someone would drop me a line to let me know if you remember (and liked) Quantum Leap!

The café downstairs

Such a beautiful, blustery day today.

Got up at 12.30pm today. Amazing! Of course there was some guilt there :S But I came straight to the office and the reason I'm online now is to upload a website I've just finished. So there! I've been doing work!

I also decided to try out the café downstairs instead of calling McDonald's Delivery. Figured it'd be much cheaper and more charitable. After all, I'm going to be needing them pretty often since I don't cook and Grandpa G's only here twice a year!

So I go down and peruse the menu. Cis! There ain't nothin' much here, is there? I yelled at the Indon lady. Just kidding... well at least I found out that their food, while not cheap, is still cheaper than ordering McD's. Although at McD's, for extra RM3 (which is used for delivery charge anyway) I can get a drink. Which is one item more than they give me down at the café.

I also found out that they have WiFi! Cool! I can bring my tiny laptop down and surf. 'Cept I have to buy food and drinks... I suppose they aren't as big and rich as Starbucks is. Yet. And delivery to my doorstep costs an extra RM1. What the... my doorstep is just one lift ride away! Might as well save that RM1 and buy some junk food.

Malaysian Devil has a really naughty post today. He says his girlfriend can't do long distance relationships and all that jazz, but it sounds like his body can't take it either. Haha. And no english translation please, Charly!

As promised, the new Me

Done!

I finally got my hair done today! Took absolutely ages, but I think it looks nice :) Am looking forward to seeing how it develops the more I wash it. T'was a bit difficult to take a picture of my hair that shows it as light as it really is. It's actually more copper than in the photo above. Well, some of you will see it soon... Grandpa G can take a good CLOSE look at it when he visits next month. Can't wait for that! I can't tell if he was worried I'd end up being a Ginger!

So Charly what do you think? I know you were waiting to see what would happen :P

Weirds and creepsies

There is a weird, creepy sound coming from the water treatment facility just down the road from my condo.

It sounds like rusty chains clanking against each other on a treadmill, and every few seconds at the same intervals comes a deep, bass drum sound. Yet, the area down there is so empty, dark and peaceful. It's as if some underground elves are building a city beneath us. If I was a filmmaker, I'd record this sound for future use. As it is, I'm not, and I have to suffer in my bedroom with this noise.

Well, tomorrow is D-Day... when I will find out if my Great Hair Idea works out. Okay, so it's not such a big deal, but I'm still really excited.

I just finished fixing this puzzle that Heike, my mum's German friend (who's bunking at my place cuz I have a guestroom), brought for me. It's superb! It's only a few inches wide and in a circle shape, but the puzzle pieces are really organic-shaped, and the picture is some weird, creepy, art nouveau-like tree. It's rather Cirque du Soleil-ish. Awesome! I would've taken a picture of the puzzle unfinished so you guys can appreciate how tricky it is, but I don't have a camera on me right now. So when I do get my hands on one, I'll take a pic of the finished puzzle and you can congratulate me then.

What Men Look For

What do men look for in females? And this has been researched.

According to Allan and Barbara Pease, men look for, in order: Personality, Good Looks, Brains, Humour and Good Body (I think this is for men who are looking for a proper relationship, men who aren't asses, like Spencer in The Hills).

So, anyway, this morning, in church, I had an epiphany. You know how girls always complain that guys just go for looks... and looking at that list above, seems that girls' looks are more important than brains to a guy. And I think I know why now, and why girls shouldn't complain about it.

See, more girls than guys take pride in their appearance. It's not for the guys, it's for themselves, and for other girls. Haven't I always commented that there are so many more good-looking girls than guys? This is true in KL, at least (I know in Rome, the guys are HOT. Just plain HOT!). And this is the reason guys put more priority on looks than girls! There is a higher chance of a guy's mate having a better looking missus than his, so they make sure they find a suitable contender. As for the girls, they have to put looks as a lower priority, because there simply aren't that many lookers to go round. Hehe... am I being slightly mean here? I think there is some truth in this though!

You know what would improve a guy's chances, if he ain't a looker? Be charming! Pay loads of attention to the girl! Unless, of course, you get clear signs that she thinks you're scum.

New hair, new me

I'm changing my hair colour!

I've been so depressed lately, I figure it's time to change my look. And I can't wait! (Oh gawd, the chili padi I just ate is so bloody spicy - pause while I get a cold drink)

Yeah, so I'm SO excited... wanted to go on Monday morning, but mum wants to cut her hair too, and she's only free on Tuesday, so I have to wait an extra day, but it'll be worth it! Woohoo! Pictures will be up as soon as I get it done. So that's it for now, folks!

No More Quizzes!

Okay, I promise this is the last batch of quizzes I put up! (I suspect it's cuz I'm lazy to write about stuff).

You Are a Normal Girl

You are 50% Good and 50% Bad Sure you've pulled some bad girl stunts in your past. But these days, you're (mostly) a good girl.

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?

Your Inner Muse is Thalia

You are most like this playful muse of comedy. Life is all about laughter to you, and you're a natural comic. You make people laugh until their sides split. And you're always up for some play time!

What Muse Are You?

Your Lust Quotient: 44%

You are definitely a lustful person, but you do a good job of hiding it. Your friends would be surprised to know that your secretly very wild!

How Much Lust Do You Have?

More quizzes!

You Are 60% Extrovert, 40% Introvert

You are quite outgoing You are a social connector - you know a ton of people While you aren't a wild extrovert, you are a great talker A fantastic storyteller, you keep everyone laughing

Are You An Extrovert or An Introvert?

Your French Name is:

Fantine Touchet

What's Your French Name?

Your Italian Name Is...

Madonna Ferrari

What's Your Italian Name?

Your Superpower Should Be Manipulating Electricity

You're highly reactive, energetic, and super charged. If the occasion calls for it, you can go from 0 to 60 in a split second. But you don't harness your energy unless you truly need to. And because of this, people are often surprised by what you are capable of. Why you would be a good superhero: You have the stamina to fight enemies for days Your biggest problem as a superhero: As with your normal life, people would continue to underestimate you

What Should Your Superpower Be?

Your Quirk Factor: 40%

You have a few little quirks, but you generally blend in well with society. Only those who know you well know how weird you can be.

How Quirky Are You?

Seduction Styles

Busy doing quizzes tonight.

Inspired by a few blogs that have included seduction quizzes... and also inspired by my moodiness lately and lack of intimacy. Here is a whole bunch of seduction quizzes I've done. Just to trick my mind into thinking I'm having a lot more dirty fun than I actually am.

Your Seduction Style: The Dandy

You're a non-traditionalist, not limited by gender roles or expectations. Your sexuality is more fluid than that - and you defy labels or categories. It's hard to pin you down, and that's what's fascinating about you. You have the psychology of both a male and a female, and you can relate to anyone.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Your Seduction Style: Prized Object

The seduction game you play is tried, true, and still effective: hard to get. You know that the best seducers turn the tables - and get their crush to seduce them. The one running has the power, and you're a challenge that is worth the chase. You are a master of enticing and pulling back. Giving a little and taking some away. You are controlled enough to know rewards come after a long seduction dance. Even though you want to call, email, or say "I love you" first - you don't! You're style is the perfect mix of hot and cold - so much so that you have many suitors. Think Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's ... or any of those creepy guys from the Bachelor. You're skilled at inspiring a chase. The real test is picking the person to slow down for.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

Another quiz says:

Low-maintenance lady

While it’s very true that you shouldn’t ever pretend to be someone you aren’t, it seems like you’re averse to showing him who you really are. Men aren’t mind readers – they depend on a number of non-visual clues to let them know they are more interesting to you than, say, watching paint dry. If you like someone, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little initiative: go over and say hello, wear a colour you know you look great in, wear the fab earrings you got in Mexico… anything to show you made an effort just for him.

---

Well that should be enough reading for a while! Nite, folks!

Which tissue?

Here's my take on tissues.

I've used 4 major brands of facial tissues - Kleenex, Scott, Premier (who hasn't?) and Royal Gold. I've also come to certain conclusions that I would like to share with anyone as discerning of tissues as I am. Or just plain bonkers.

KLEENEX
My personal favourite, and although on the pricier side of the scale, worth it for the quality. Spread out, it's big enough to cover and dry my face completely. It's also soft and just an all round joy to use. Packaging design is acceptable for generic household tastes. Kleenex is just good for everyday use. A pack of 4x170 pieces is about RM9-10.

SCOTT
Hmm... it has a nice, international-sounding name and pretty alright packaging. However, the tissues are quite small! When I spread it across my face, it barely covers everything, which means I then have to scrunge it up to dry the sides where it doesn't reach. It is soft, though, and cheaper than Kleenex, so could be a nearly acceptable alternative to it. A pack of 4x170 pieces is around RM6-7.

PREMIER
Extremely weird tagline, but it's the truth I guess. What is it again? "Everybody uses it"? Something like that. Premier is a nice size, like Kleenex, but it's not soft! Well, I've had rougher, like Plum Blossom, but compared to the previous two, Premier is decidedly rough. The packaging is quite... urgh, I guess it's alright. I use tissue box covers anyway, so the packaging doesn't bother me, except when it's in the supermarket trolley. However, the price does qualify it as an alternative to Kleenex. A pack of 4x170 pieces is around RM5-7.

ROYAL GOLD
This is both big and soft, like Kleenex, and is quite luxurious, being 3-ply, plus it has nice colours. The packaging design is quite awful compared to the other three, considering its price and high-class image. However, I did not choose Royal Gold as my favourite because 3-ply is a little too thick for everyday use. I always feel like it's such a waste when I use Royal Gold tissue to just wipe my mouth after a meal and throw it. Also, when I scrunge it up to clean my nose after blowing, it's too big to get inside my nose! I haven't checked the current price for Royal Gold, so can't put it down here.

Disclaimer: All the above are my personal opinions only and are not intended to give a bad name to any of the brands.

Shockers

I was driving in Bangsar this evening, just in front of McDonald's.

At the traffic light, I stopped next to a grey Camry, and I immediately thought, "Hey that's the same as my dad's car", and then I thought, "Gosh, could it be his?" cuz my dad does hang out in Bangsar. So I stole a look at the number plate - but it wasn't my dad's. And then it struck me. And I thought, "Oh my God, I can't believe it - I never been this far away from home..." No, I'm kidding. I thought, "Oh my God, I can't believe it - my dad actually hangs out in Bangsar more than I do..."

Gasp.

By the way, I actually quite fancy Lily Allen's version of that song.

I watched Transformers!

I watched Transformers and it's GOOD!

I'd heard it was good but I tried not to raise my expectations too much so I wouldn't be disappointed. And I wasn't! I really enjoyed the show. It was cool to hear the old phrases they used to say... but the coolest thing was the sound they make when they're transforming. Just like the cartoon!

I also liked that it wasn't unbearably clichéd. I hate it when they make the bad guys look WAY cooler than the good guys. In this case, Megatron really WAS cooler because he transforms into a jet, but at least they didn't make Optimus Prime look like a joker and his big truck. Many other things I thought was done well, but I shan't say anything else so I don't spoil it for the others who haven't seen it.

Another thing is... I'm home! I don't have to go to the office! Yahoo!! I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this time to come. Sweet! Luckily I've still got work to do so there's money to survive. Just gotta get even more work and get really busy so I can actually start SAVING. Hehe... luckily I've got most things that I want anyway, so all I have to do is stay away from Sharry Berry and her compulsive spending aura, and I've got it covered.