Christmas blessings!

ooh! A happy and a merry festive season. What you make out of your holidays is what you'll actually get. Armed with the enthusiastic seasons cheer and a merry smile ... I conquered my holidays in the best way I can ever imagine it to be .... 

True, there have been talks of love and peace, but how many people actually live up to it? Are they too busy to enjoy the best things of life? There are also those who say that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost ... thats right too ... the religious aspects of it has been overcome by commercialization. The celebration of sacrificial love has been taken over by materialistic love. But yet, how you feel this love will determine how you enjoy your Christmas. No matter what happens, whether you see it as a chance to be with your loved ones or whether you choose to punish yourself and curse the world for its contemporary nonsense , Christmas is CHRISTMAS !! So be jolly, happy and merry!

A nice long break from work (erm .. officially only though), lots of great dinners and lunches and many more to come (many extra kg's came with that), shopping till your feet hurt, a fun outing with the coolest bunch of friends you could ask for, a crazy and MAD countdown to Xmas, dancing the night away, visiting your dearest friends, enjoying the smell of warm brownies from your oven, watching your cousin getting married (I wanna see the day the girls 'play' with the groom), celebrating my grandma's 84th birthday ..... ooh ... I love Christmas!! 

I actually felt the heat from the cake when I held the camera right above to snap this shot!

And new year is coming soon ... so here's wishing you the very best of 2009 and may you achieve whatever your heart desires!

In the mood for food

It's almost Christmas ... a time when you are thinking about love, about carols, about faith ... and also food!

So check out my new blog! And leave a comment or two ...
Let's link up too!

http://www.joycyscravings.blogspot.com

My return home

Being a toastmaster has really benefitted me so much. It gave me much more confidence, improved my presentation skills, networking skills and so much more .... in short, I am a better person because of toastmasters. You won't know its benefits till you join it. I know it might sound like some cliched MLM program but this is truly how I felt about it. 

5 years ago I walked into toastmasters. I was then a shy girl with zilch confidence. Perhaps a 12 year old might be braver than me. But with great mentors and so much motivation along the way, I really gained more confidence. By organizing events and taking up leadership roles, I became so much more competent. There are too many people that I want to thank ... and you're always deep in my heart. And now that I've gained the benefits of it, I want to mentor b

ack others, I want to help others improve through toastmasters too.

And this morning, I went back to the club where I started my journey ... HELP University College Toastmasters Club. From a nervous first time speaker to a president and then a figure behind the scenes, I hold this club so dear to me. Its so sweet to be invited back there, to be looked upon as guidance, to be noted as a senior (sigh ... I know I am old). It was a very pleasant morning meeting .. friendly people, reunion with friends and a warm Christmas party. ooh ... something worth mentioning is the Christmas Yule Log. Yummy choc cake with Xmas decorations.

At times they tease me as the grandmother of the club... but at times I agree too. I feel proud when I see improvements in the other members. Just like how I envision it to be, a little flower bud blooming to become a majestic bouquet. All it needs is showers of confidence and motivation. I feel happy when I see others enjoying their toastmasters journey as well. And I specifically remember one of my mentees ... a perfect example of a shy boy developing to become a star in his own right. Though he left the country, his story always remain as the spirit of toastmasters.

Once again I remind you ... it ain't a scam to drag you in a MLM gimmick, suck all your money and friends  out and leave you in a ditch. Its a family that you join to improve yourself by helping others improve themselves. 

Don't believe it? Try it ....

English is confusing

Doesn't matter what the dictionary says, but sometimes, some word definitions are best to be made on the streets ... only then will ordinary people understand what you mean.

Not to long ago, while out shopping with a friend, we were at a pharmacy and started looking a detox tablets. And the whole conversation went on about how effective it was .. or how other natural stuff works as well.

"I don't need it as I just ........" then the whole conversation stopped. Laughter broke out and the topic changed to language.

The million dollar question ..... WHAT IS THE PAST TENSE FOR SHIT?

Shat ??
Shitted??

I shat non- stop after I had that mamak meal?
I shitted this morning?

I sounds weird ... how can you say it without invoking laughter?
See? Language is an art!

Historic getaway

Sometimes its nice to just get away for a little while. Its always a change to get away from the desk, from staring at the computer screen, from writing articles, from answering the phones non stop, from eating the same old chap fan and drinking Nes-lo in the mornings while checking your email.

I went to Melaka last week. I was tired and bored in KL. Tired of waiting and tired of hoping. Its a nice escape to go to a place where there are excellent sites, good food and lots of sun & walking to do. Its great to dress like you're on a summer vacation, with sunnies and flip flops and just walk, not knowing where the street will lead you too and what treasures you might find along the way (hehe, Spanish guys not included). And the feeling is even greater when you do it on a week day (muahaha .... the thoughts of your friends and collegues working makes your break even a better one) 

Sights in Melaka was excellent. Those heritage nyonya houses were so extricately designed. I loved the gold and wooden back drops. I love the temples and the figurines. I love the tiles and antiques that gives you the wonderful memories.  Can you imagine sitting on the marble chair while enjoying authentic Peranakan cuisine? It feels like ...... being some one else (and I won't forgive someone for not charging the camera before returning it me)

3 meals in 5 hours, lots of driving, a trip to a dissapointing shopping spot but a great treasure trove ... I need to make more road trips like these.

Jaz beer

Malaysia has indeed come a long way. I don't know whether to be hushed of it (seeing the political scene) or be proud of it ... well ..

Malaysia has produced its very own beer. Jaz beer ... weird name, but theres awhole wonderful story behind it. Named after a person, I really wish it would grow too. 100% local ....... Although the alchohol content is higher, at 5.5 %, the taste is extremely mild (or smooth, as I was quickly corrected by the Jaz people). Not being a beer drinker myself .. it seems plesant enough.

I went for a Jaz road show last night. Seeing its a new brand, not many people know about this beer. But its weird , the way they promoted it. Yes, it was fun with the giant inflatable beer bottle, their huge furry green mascot with legs that resembled CJ7 and a truck that extends to become a stage. But apart form the beer sales and the normal alchohol promo, they were raising funds for a Chinese school.

Yes, the thought is nobel .. and perhaps drunk people are more generous and will contribute more ... but its just that the channel is wrong. Imagine having a computer lab in your school sponsored by Jaz beer ... and the kids will be like 'ooo.... what is this logo on the computer? Jaz? I must try it out' .... so are we promoting drinking to the kids?

hmm.... I really wonder what the Jaz team was thinking?

Time is like a precious stone

Time is so valuable .... so difficult to come by. And it really applies to me ... I don't know about the rest ....  and I know it definitely is not a source to worry about for some.

When I was young ... time seemed to go by so fast when I was playing masak- masak

When I was a teen ... the perfect date seem to end so soon

When I was studying ... assignments were due almost immediately

When I am working ... tasks were due yesterday ... you had to learn how to juggle stuff

And now when time is running short, I can't stand it when people keep wasting my time.

(I might be a little grumpy these days)

but I don't like it when people force me to go for MLM meetings

I don't like it when you miss call me non stop only to chat about nothings

I don't like it when you make bookings for me without me knowing

I don't like to sit at mamaks for hours just talking about 1 stupid newsletter .. especially not when you were dragged out with a ton of work still left undone (Yay! retirees win hands down for whiling away time)