It happens all the time.

Old friend

"Baby you light up my world like nobody else,
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,
You don't know,
Oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful."

- One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful" -

I just want to say that, I'm glad we can still talk about anything under the sun.

PS:

Damnit. That song is just so annoyingly catchy.

*BONK BONK BONK BONK*

We were at the dinner table savouring the dishes my mum cooked up for the family. She rarely cooks so when she does, it's only for the Chinese New Year, when all my cousins, aunties, and uncles gather under one roof. As we started eating, no conversation was made so there's only the clinking sound of cutleries hitting against the ceramic bowls and plates, only if one paid enough attention to it. But this not-so-awkward silence was pierced through by the unexpectedly loud noise of a rubber ball bouncing on the marble floor. We paused and looked at each other for a few seconds, then simultaneously shifted our gaze to the empty seat where the youngest member of the family, my nephew was sitting.... It's now empty.

My aunt gasps, "AHHHH KEN!!!!!!!"

Out of curiosity, I excused myself from the dinner to check out what was my nephew doing. It turns out that he's having a ball in the living room by himself. Note the pun. heh.

*Bonk Bonk Bonk Bonk*

I bought this rubber ball for myself when the Pixar movie, Monster Inc. came out in 2001. And obviously, the ball isn't meant for people of my size but I love the animation too much.

I couldn't stop laughing seeing how much fun he was having.

I laugh even harder when he slipped and went, "WOOOW WOOOWW WOOOOW~ AHHHH~"

My favourite snap. It looks as if he's floating in the air, like something you would see in StarWars. HAHAHAHAHA. A jedi master!

Finally, exhausted.

I realized that my house is quite kids friendly because I still keep some of my favourite toys at random places in the house. It's like a treasure hunt for them when they come over and the first prize seems to be my Sony Play Stations.

PS:

There goes another Chinese New Year. Time flies.

PPS:

Getting ready to head back to Melbourne :)

Something I Love...

It's to scrutinize my own x-ray films

Isn't it amazing? To find out what's going on Inside you. Not figuratively speaking but literally. Your bones, your guts, your bodily functions... all these physical things that make up who you are as a living thing.

Absolutely fascinating.

Well, right to the point when you're told how fucked up things are going on inside you. Cue the thunder.

tsssk tsssk.

I went to see a Chiro in my hometown today because I've always known that my posture is really bad, even at such tender age of 23. pffft. Neck and head salah, knees salah, ankles salah, too flat footed yada yada...

But one of the biggest issues that have been bothering me is the discomfort I have been experiencing around my head, neck and shoulders. Apparently, I was told that the muscle around my neck is too weak, while the muscle around my shoulders are too stiff so there's restricted movements in those areas and I would suffer the consequences much worse as I age, not so gracefully.

Sigh.

Check out the two grey lines drawn of the side profile of my x-ray, the straighter line is the current shape of my neck while it's supposed to have that natural curve like the line drawn next to it. As a result, I'm prescribed to commit to 4 sets of rehab exercises, three times a day, 10 repetitions of each set.

Don't judge me if I have to excuse myself after every meal to do my exercises.

Yes people, really gotta take good care of your bone structures as they are crucial in holding everything together and to keep them in place. Also, it's important to keep an active lifestyle. Because I was nagged by my Chiropractor today that, all these problems that I'm suffering now is mainly because I was a couch potato for more than 18 years of my life. All due to the fact that, I was overweight, overly pampered as on only kid and last but not least, incredibly lazy beyond all reasons. I didn't have to lift a finger around the house and I could get away with it.

I thought I was SO SMART and SO LUCKY but not so much anymore huh.

My chiro gave an inspirational speech about how recovery is not gonna be easy, while pressing hard into my sore shoulders making me screamed mutely to myself. And that I have to endure the pain in order to make up for the wrongs I had done to my body when everything was still right.

Ouch.

Good news is, it's never too late to make changes.

PS:

You know times have shifted when you are more excited about spending RM600 on a pillow than on a pair of shoes from Bimba & Lola.

Not just any pillow, but The Millennium pillow.

That's its real name. No kidding.

PPS:

Off to Penang for the weekend!

To get fed and to see my favourite girls.

Baby is Home

It's been a week since I last landed. There were a lot of meet-ups and catching up over meals, mostly with close friends and families. This trip back home, I'm not in the mood for shopping for clothes or driving down to KL to lepak. Because whenever I think of all the junks I've accumulated in Melbourne, I shiver from anxiety and refrain from buying more things that I actually need. So, I just don't put myself in situations where I know I won't be able to resist the abundant temptations.

Such a good start. heh.

Instead, am just enjoying the less hectic lifestyle of my hometown, prefer chilling on the couch to read up on books and watch TV. I'm currently hooked on the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series recommended by my aunt. They make such perfect light reading materials and oh-so-inspirational.

Love 'em.

Here are some snippets of my week...

Roaming around on the land of Siew paus. In fact, I always get asked, what exactly are "Siew Paus". Well, they are like normal paus you get from having dim sum, but they are baked instead of steamed.

The J twins were back in town for dinner at our usual cheap-eat spot in Seremban, where crabs coated with salted egg yolks is always the staple dish. It's a whole new level of unhealthiness, we know.

Came home and was greeted by a new ride. I'm ditching the MINI. For real.

We had some house visits. My family and I love admiring the interior design of houses, especially those multi-million villas. And my little cousins were obviously having a ball running around and posing in front of a Christmas tree. While I'm at it, I would check out the owner's reading list, representative of the guidance on their journey in getting to where they are now.

Saw this walk-in closet in IKEA and decided that my future wardrobe in my future house will look like this. Did I mention that I love IKEA?

Of clown-like bowling shoes, consecutive failed attempts in keeping the ball from rolling into the longkang on both side of the alley, extremely smelly RM2 disposable white socks... I officially disapprove adopting bowling as a hobby. Sheesh.

Love family dinners that require team work and team spirit in sapu-ing all the dishes off the plates.

"You take the last two pieces of chicken!"

"No, I would take one and you take the other."

"Who wants some wings?"

Apparently, we get 40 degrees in Malaysia too. Not only in the Summer of Melbourne.

My two little cousins are the most adorable kids. I asked for a third furry crown headband and they didn't have one for me. iSad.

And here's to the most adorable dog with a personality. Or should it be called dogonality? How lame.

Before that I was living the life of a curious tourist in Melbourne, and now, I think I feel like a 50 year-old retiree.

Happy New Year!

2011 was a great year.

I've lost myself in love and I've found love in unexpected places. I've made mistakes and I have learnt that everything is okay at the end of the day anyway. I've discovered new grounds, established friendships like never before. Best of all, I've graduated from Australia's finest institution, survived 6 years in a foreign land and came out a better person. I've grown, without forgoing the kid in me. I sure know how to have fun and enjoy life because I believe that everything is just a matter of choice. I used to hate choices, now, I love them and embrace them with an open mind, an open heart.

I know 2012 is going to be equally awesome, if not, better.

Well, I've chosen to trust myself on that.

Okay.
Off to take my flight back to Malaysia now.

Chloe said "Peace out!"

PS:
Thanks Sue-mae for inviting me over for a sushi dinner on New Year's eve.
It was cozy, very homey... Just the way I like it nowadays.
Much love.


PPS:
Time to go home. YAY!

Of course it means Everything

"All at once, I had it all
But it doesn't mean anything now that you're gone
From above, seems I had it all
But it doesn't mean anything since you're gone"
- Doesn't Mean Anything by Alicia Keys -

That's Shan, Yee and I on our way back from having Vietnamese Pho, singing along cheerfully to "You Belong to Me" by Taylor Swift in their FoFo. It's a joke we came up with for their car and the nickname stuck.

Ah, such happy time.

Well... before Alicia Keys's "Doesn't Mean Anything" came on and killed it.

Seriously. Dislike emo songs.

Anyway, Yee is leaving for London for a new chapter of her life. Albeit it's not going to be a very long stay, I'm still very excited for her, knowing that she would enjoy it and get the most out of her experience.

I always believe that these growth spurts would change people, hopefully for the better.

For Yee's case.. definitely for the better.

Okay. Off to my Chiropractic session.

Time to crack some bones of mine.