Less than a month to go

So Deepavali is less than a month away and usually by this time, I’d be all excited. The month before the festival is when all the hype begins. Shopping for new clothes and accessories, making muruku and kulcha, cleaning the house (not that I look forward to it), keeping aside all the 'angpow' packets we get from banks and malls…the list goes on.

This year however, I haven’t begun to feel the excitement. I blame this all on work as from Oct 27 to Nov 3, I’ll be stuck in meetings after meetings after meetings. So there goes my yearly grand-daughter duty of helping my grandma make muruku and kulcha. We usually make them about a week before Deepavali; any earlier and there won’t be any left for the day!! I suppose my sister will have to shoulder the responsibility alone this year.

I have about 2 ½ weeks to do all the shopping I want and knowing what a picky person I am….that’s hardly enough time. I bought my Deepavali outfit at the very last minute last year…if I’m not mistaken just a few days before Deepavali!! I vow not to do the same this year. I don’t have the time anyway.

I’m also looking forward to the “party” or gathering that is supposed to happen the day after Deepavali. A friend is “planning” it i.e. talking about it but so far that’s all I’ve heard of it: TALK. I hope it happens. My brother said he’ll try and make it and I’m sure it’ll be a blast!! :-) That’s the first time we’ll all be drinking together. Hehe…

I also have to get my new sofa for the house. We went scouting for one last weekend and I hope to finally book one this weekend. Hmm…let’s see lah…

Of being greedy

So lately I’ve begun to realize that I am becoming greedy. I find myself wanting things, and the only thing that is keeping me back from getting that stuff is the knowledge that I will suffer in the end if I indulge myself!

I don’t have the usual wants or desires to have the latest shoes, clothes or accessories. I rarely shop which is good for my pocket and bank balance; plus, I’m really picky especially when it comes to shoes. I can go shoe-hunting and still come back empty handed!!

Anyway, back to being greedy, recently, I took a look around my house and decided that my family (read: I) need a new sofa set. Our old sofa set was tearing and breaking, and when my grand-aunt was selling her house stuff away, we bought her two single bed frames and mattresses and used that as “sofas” for our house!! “Brilliant” idea as now…neither my parents nor my sis and I sit. We all lie down!! Pathetic I tell you, considering the fact that my mum had a “rule” to NEVER have a bed in the hall!!! People who came to our house compliment us on our creative idea but I’d bet they would never do the same.

So…having a new sofa set was one thing. Then as I flicked through the various channels on Astro, I decided that I it would be nice to have channels such as BIO, Discovery Health and Living etc. There seems to be more interesting things to watch on those channels. That’s added $$. So for now…I’m still counting to see if I can afford the addition.

Then there’s my sister and me always wanting to eat fast food like McD’s and Pizza Hut which would just burn a hole in our pockets! And it doesn’t help when Burger King is now opening a branch near your house!! Arghhh…

Of course…I always set aside some money whenever I receive my salary. That money either goes for house groceries, car repairs (this year alone there were so many unfortunate incidents with Wednesday being the most recent. My exhaust pipe actually broke into two!!), end of the year car road tax and insurance renewal, Deepavali etc.

Now I’m not complaining about not being able to get what I want. I can easily take money from my “emergency” savings to indulge my greediness but is it worth it?

I can do without the extra Astro channels. As for the sofa set…well…I’m pretty determined to get a set coz I’m beginning to get sick and tired of having a bed and mattress in the living room. It’s just bad feng shui. I’ve got some saved up money…so let’s see if I can find an affordable one.

Hmmm.....

4-day weekend

So last Thursday was a public holiday; and taking advantage of my 5-day work week, I took Friday off so that I'd get a 4-day weekend! So what did I do?

I had planned to go down to KL. Initially, mum, sis and I were supposed to go to KL during Raya. But somehow things just didn't work out and so the trip was cancelled. It was the perfect timing for mum to take a break. The shop was closed for 3 days and it was also the weekend, which meant that I was on break and sis was also free. Alas....things just didn't work out.

Back to last weekend, since both my sis and I couldn't decide if we wanted to go to KL or not, the decision was somehow already made up. All the procrastinating and "Want to go or not?" sort of decided it for us.

So I basically spent the 4-days at home. I followed mum to the market every morning, to the shop every afternoon, back home for a few hours, then back to the shop again later in the night. Kind of mundane, yes, but it was in a way relaxing. I watched a movie or two as well. Of course, working in my organisation has sort of made me be obssess about emails, so I took an hour on Friday, to check my emails just to see if there was anything important to attend to. Thankfully, there was none. (Although if there was something to attend to, I'd probably just leave it for Monday for when I start work and then worry about it the whole weekend).

Of course when it was Sunday night, I started dreading Monday. Lol! But I can't complain. I had 4 days to do nothing. I can't very well spend my life being on a perpetual holiday can I? Though I would love to do that!! Hehe...

Anyhow....my brother is in town! So...even though I didn't get to see him in KL...I'll still be seeing him. :-)

Selamat Hari Raya

To my family and friends,

Here's wishing you,

Selamat Hari Raya! Maaf Zahir Batin!

At work

As I write this, I am sitting on the carpeted floor of the Horizon meeting room in Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang. We have just finished our first meeting of the week (surprisingly early!!) . While we wait for lunch and then the beginning of the second meeting at 2pm, most of us are either back in our rooms resting or catching up on work that was left undone due to the first meeting.

For me, I'm multi-tasking: I'm checking my emails, I'm on FB, I'm chatting with Trish and two colleagues from work, I'm also researching for some data on farmer suicides. Oh ya...not to forget...I'm blogging too!! Haha...

I had a really late night on Tuesday. A 3-hour meeting that was supposed to be from 4pm-7pm, lasted till 10pm!! Then, coz the laptop that I brought from the office died on me (despite it working the previous day)...I had to go back to the office and get another one. To my horror, the two laptops that was available in the office, chose that very day to die!! Thankfully....my admin and finance officer had another laptop with her but...it was with her at HOME!! So off to her house we went and by the time I got back to the hotel, it was past midnight!! All this on a public holiday!! Thank God Marvin was so nice and kind to drive me to and fro everywhere!! Now we're both going to demand that we get replacement leave!! I only hope we get it!!

Alright then...a short update as I need to continue on my other "tasks". Hehe...

Haircuts

I’m not sure when this so-called obsession begun, but I’ve had this “thing” about getting hair cuts. I can’t really remember if I had short hair when I was a kid but looking at all the pics in the album…well..yeah…I had short hair.

In Primary school, I maintained my short hair till I was about 10. Then I started growing out my hair till it was nearly to my waist!! Not to blow my own trumpet, but I had the typical, long, thick, jet-black hair with waves. It was heavy! Then suddenly when I was in Standard 6, I had the sudden desire to chop it all off and *woosh* I had super short hair!! Not a crew cut but REALLY short.

I started high school with short hair (DUH – since my hair was super short just the year before). I switched from long hair to short hair to long hair to short hair all through the years. It was as though my hair was having a mind of its own!! I suppose I can attribute it to vanity (for wanting to have long hair) and also practicality since there were activities and sports (it was just easier to have short hair).

During college, I somehow managed to maintain my long hair. I suppose it’s becoz almost every girl had long hair; PLUS…I had to have something to cover my long thin neck. PLUS…I had braces on back then! I’d have look like a match-stick with iron teeth!! *shudder*
Right now, I’ve got reasonably long hair. I still find excuses to cut my hair, be it split ends, or my hair has no shape etc. I suppose I like the feeling of being pampered – where I walk into the salon, the hairstylist greets me, washes my hair while indulging in idle talk etc. After my hair is cut/trimmed and blown dry…I feel like someone new every time I step out of the salon.

Hmm…you guys must be wondering what kind of freak I am! Lol…I wonder too.

My sister on the other hand just abhors the idea of even getting her hair trimmed. Chopping off one inch of her hair is like chopping off her 10 toes. She cringes at the thought of it!! Mum says her 'crowning glory' is literally her crown i.e. her hair! I can't remember her having short hair! Plus...her hair's a nice shade of brown/copper so much so that my uncle once told her "I like the colour you dyed your hair with"!!

Anyhow...after numerous attempts of getting my sis to cut her hair...she finally succumbed to Kiran's pleas! So last Saturday, my sis bravely had her hair cut and styled and what do you know....she looks amazing!! She looks younger, fresher and her new layered crop really suits her!!

Well...now that she's had HER haircut...I'm thinking...should I follow suit? Or should I wait out for my hair to reach my waist?? Hmmm....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

Here's a shout out to my lil sis who's turning 20 in a few more hours!! She'll no longer be a teen - I keep reminding her of that!! Haha...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAYSHNAVEE!!

MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS, HOPES AND WISHES COME TRUE!

MAY YOU BE ALWAYS BLESSED!

Love you lots!! Muax!!