Show Me The Money!

Several weeks ago i decided to rearrange my desk. I had read that it was bad Feng Shui to have my back towards the door. And looking at the position of my desk, i noticed everything that they had said not to do, was exactly what i had done.

Oops.

"In Feng Shui, the bagua incorporates the nine areas of life, with the center being the health area. The upper left corner of the desk is the wealth area, the upper right corner of the deck is partnership, the lower right corner of the desk is helpful people and so on." [source] And therefore, by placing a plant in my upper left corner of my desk it may improve my financial situation.

Now seriously, who could say no to that?

So i went to the gardening centre and looked around for a plant that i thought would be happy to come home with me.

And whether it was a major coincidence but a few days after tidying my desk and moving it, i received an email from a potential new client saying he will get back to me with regards to a huge new project he wants me to work on. And a week or so after that, another client that owed me money finally paid up.

Hmmm... needless to say, i'm keeping my desk tidy and that plant ain't going nowhere.

***

So anyway, J left yesterday around about lunch time to spend a few days with his mother and sort through the parents' house. Living further south on the map means the drive would take about 4 hours. But J managed to get a few days off from work next week so he could organise the funeral, speak to the authorities and along with his two brothers help their mother deal with the current situation.

I, on the other hand, spent a huge chunk of yesterday sorting through and rewriting my quotations and invoices i had written for past and current design jobs. The reason being was, apparently, there was some confusion with the sequence of the invoice numbers.

As a designer previously working in a design studio and an advertising company, there was no need to be involved in the billings and/or for me to chase clients for payment. All that dirty work was done by an Account Executive.

Thinking about it now, i definitely took my A.E's for granted. Kudos to all my previous A.E's!

So before J got in the car and left yesterday, he was sweet enough to help me figure out a better bookkeeping system. Knowing how stressed i was about it all, he sat down patiently and explained it to me despite saying he wanted to leave earlier.

Seriously, when it comes to excel documents, i'm a little retarded.

J created an excel sheet in which i could easily key in all the important information such as my billings and basically track how much money i'm still being owed.

Yup, having my own business also means doing my own bookkeeping, which i have learned can be quite complex and super irritating.


But thanks to some sticky notes and a better bookkeeping system courtesy of J, i'm hoping it'll get easier over time.


Six hours, numerous wasted A4 sheets and a depleting black ink cartridge later, i finally completed sorting out my jobs for 2011 so far.


Eventually, i finished and figured it was time to eat. Dinner was spaghetti with some light cream, oregano, vegetable broth powder, garlic, onions, chives and smoked tofu. Easy to prepare, delicious and filling.


As for the rest of my day, it doesn't look like i'll be doing too much. I may consider taking a shower since that is on my To Do List.

I can't believe it's the weekend before my thirty-first birthday and where am i? Home alone with the kitties.

Oh well, the weather is looking kind of grey at 13˚C, so there's no point heading outside. Plus it's Sunday and none of the shops are open, which in a way is good since that would only mean i'd be lured in to spend more money.

I'm on a mission to save money and cut down on my snacking this month. I'm starting to rock a muffin top and i'm feeling self-conscious.

And so i'm off to watch reruns of another reality show that i'm slightly obsessed with called, Dr. 90210. A show focused on plastic surgery in Beverly Hills. And only because i was curious, i found out breast augmentation prices in Germany are way over my head.

If only, i had that much disposable income to begin with.

Past, Present and Future Stored in Cardboard Boxes.

Time is speeding along. Two months shy of three years ago, i arrived to this side of the world with an overweight suitcase, my design folio tucked under my arm and a back pack strapped on my back.

And last night we managed to pack fifteen relatively big boxes, of which more than half of them belong to me.

I have yet to pack the contents of the bedroom but i reckon there will be at least another five boxes there. As for the kitchen, i'm guessing another two or three boxes on top of the two that have already been packed. The bathroom, there will probably be two boxes. And another two more boxes for the hallway which includes all the shoes outside.

Seriously, where did all this stuff come from?

But i've made a deal with J, since i packed most of the things in the apartment, he's in charge of packing all the stuff in the cellar. And the last time i checked, there's heaps of odds and ends in there to sort through which equals to about one whole room.

So anyway, this morning i transferred 33 Euros to the City of Koeln so we could get a license to block a section of the street on Monday. And an additional 73.19 Euros to some company to put up the signs to prevent cars from parking there from 9AM-6PM. That way when we unload our things from the truck, we have direct access to the front door and don't have to worry that some idiot has parked in the way.

The more we can avoid additional stresses, the better. Money wisely spent, i say.

08:14

I checked my weather widget and it looks like Sunday's forecast is looking good. It'll still be freezing but at least it won't be snowing. Yay!

J's brothers have graciously accepted to help us with our move... again. But unlike last time where we did it on our own, traveled back and forth and nearly broke our backs, we're paying a moving company a.k.a Big Russian Men to do most of the heavy carrying and assembling.

*Grins*

But with only three days to go until the movers comes and takes our things, the apartment is looking messier than ever.

Many of the shelves are empty or have items wrapped in newspaper waiting to be placed in boxes. But it's those random little items that have yet to be packed and are just lying around taking up more space, that are more annoying.

Visual pollution everywhere.


And when i'm not paying attention, every so often Luna and Yoshi will try to squeeze themselves in an open box. My main worry is not so much them crushing what is inside but my fear that they might pee in there.

One can never be too careful. It's happened before.

*Throws an evil glare in Luna's direction*

I guess i should be thankful that it was an empty box.

***

But ohmygawwwd, i'm so excited! I can't believe on Monday morning the Big Russian Men, J and i are going to drive 170 km South-West to our new home/life in Koeln!!!

I'm not exaggerating, this move deserves three exclammation marks, if not more.

And to even think that tomorrow is New Year's eve, just doesn't make sense to me.

What happened to 2010? Seriously.

Living Together and "Playing House".

It's Saturday and it's been snowing all morning. I really hope for J's sake the snow stops because he's in his car driving 180 km north. Yup, in the direction where apparently more snow has fallen and turned to ice.

His grandmother is showing early signs of Alzheimer's disease, so as the caring grandson that J is, he's gone up to go see how she is doing. Perhaps even discuss with her the option of moving into an old peoples' home which has 24/7 care or to hire someone to come by her place to help out with daily errands.

Oma M is a very independent lady and at 83 she still drives around in her car.

As for me, my weekend will most likely involve being trapped indoors. I have work to finish off and an apartment to sort though but as usual, distractions keep me busy.

But as of next week, i'll be busy as a bee.

On Monday we're planning on taking the train to Köln.

There's a train station just around the corner from our new place. If everything runs smoothly, it will take us approximately two hours to get there from here. Considering how iced over some of the roads are, choosing to go by train may end up being a wise choice. I just hope they're able to clear the snow off of the tracks by then.

But i bought the two-way tickets online the other day and it only cost us 48 Euros for the both of us. Tickets bought on the day would be about three times the price. So planning in advance does help.

So anyway, we've arranged with the young family who is currently living in the apartment that we would like to come by the place and measure out the space for the kitchen.

Apparently, they're only moving out on the 31st of December. Which means we have to make another trip down to collect the keys and possibly even paint some areas.

Ya, i know, on New Year's Eve.


But once my client finally pays me for several outstanding bills, our plan is to go to IKEA and begin the gruelling task of designing and picking out items for our very own kitchen.

My fingers are crossed that the bank processes the payments by this coming Tuesday or Wednesday.

The other week we so happened to be in IKEA and saw one kitchen layout that seemed to be within our budget. We're going to try and stick to a 1,500 Euro budget. I'm talking a full functional kitchen including a kitchen island. Minus an oven though because we already have one in storage.

But this move means investing a lot of hard earned money. In turn also means, i'm not moving for at least a few years!

It'll be the first time that J or i have bought a full-fledged kitchen unit.

Seriously, i feel so grown up.

And unlike most countries where kitchens are part of the rent, in Germany it is common that apartments come empty. Knowing our nomad lifestyles, we've been limited to finding places that come with a built-in kitchen and have been lucky so far to have moved into places that already have floors installed and wallpaper intact.

However, that said, we're moving into an apartment that has no kitchen simply because we fell in love with the overall place.

But it's no wonder people choose not to move apartments/cities or move out of their own parents' home. It's just plain expensive!

Living on this side of Europe is damn expensive full-stop.

***

But in a moment of procrastination, i was browsing through IKEA Hackers and came across one piece in particular that i'm liking. Siebrenna calls it the Bookcase with scratching post and hammock.

I need another bookcase in my work/guest room anyway. And considering our kitties spend most of their time in which ever room i'm in, i thought this would be perfect. Plus it looks rather simple to put together.

It only requires an Expedit Bookcase, a LACK Wall shelf, Shelves Carriers and Material from an old scratching post.

[source]

Luna and Yoshi are not huge fans of hammocks. But i may just install one anyway since my sister had bought one for them and they don't seem to know that they can lounge on it. I can hang it up and store all their toys in it.

Currently when their toys are not scattered everywhere, i put them all in an old cardboard box. The very same box that used to house both of them at the same time. Yoshi's now outgrown it but once in a while he tries to squeeze his butt in there.

Anyway once we get all the pieces, i'll be sure to post up the finished results.

***

But the best deal so far has to be the package deal that J was able to organise with the guy that plans on moving our things.

Not only will him and his team move the contents of our current home into our new place 164 km away but he's also going to pick up all the contents of our kitchen from IKEA, deliver it to our new place AND assemble it. All for a low price of 1,200 Euros.

Sounds expensive but with all that's included, it's a pretty damn good deal.

I guess that's one of the benefits of living in a smaller town, they tend to charge smaller rates.

***

12:30

7 days from now it will be Christmas. In 14 days it will be 2011 and in 16 days we will be in a new apartment unpacking boxes and starting a new chapter in yet another city.

So what are your plans for Christmas and New Year?

Koeln/Köln = Cologne

After falling asleep at home, we eventually arrived at the hotel at 4 AM and managed to squeeze in a 3-hour nap before J had to get up and make it to his job interview at 9 AM. I, on the other hand, spent the morning consoling his younger brother on the phone because his girlfriend of one year had just broken up with him. So by the time i hung up, it was time for me to get changed and pack.

Js younger brother ended up driving the 3 and a half hours to Koeln because he needed some company and ended up following us with his car so he could stay the night at our place.

Anyway back to the hotel...

I had booked a room at the B&B Hotel Köln Porz, thinking that the standard would be the same as in Hamburg.

Boy, was i wrong.


The hotel was directly across a casino and facing a parking lot. The room was the about the width of a double bed and it smelt of old cigarettes. The bathroom sink was covered in cigarette burns and the carpet floor had ash embedded in it from god knows how long ago. I'm not even going to go into detail about the questionable dried up dark splatter i saw on the bathroom wall.

Gross.

I've never felt so happy to check-out of a hotel room. And was eager for Js return, in hopes for some good news.


We thought we'd kill two birds with one stone and go for an apartment viewing. Our appointment was in the evening and so we spent the rest of the afternoon in the city just to buy some time. Turned out the apartment was perfect except for one problem, they didn't allow cats.

Oh well, better luck next time.

Anyway, for those of you who are not familiar with Koeln [also known as Cologne to many English speakers or those living outside Germany]. The city is most famous for their cathedral and Karneval.

REWIND:
About two and half years ago, J and i were living in separate cities but only an hour away from each other by train. We'd reunite every other weekend and often take day trips to neighboring cities.

24.05.2008

On that occasion, we decided to check out the Cologne cathedral. I had a look through my archives and realised i didn't have a blog post about it. I think i was going through a stage where i lost interest in regurgitating my thoughts.

24.05.2008

But lucky for you, i had uploaded a few photos into facebook. The ones above were taken in the bell tower [the halfway mark] and whilst going up the 509 steps to get to the steeple. Back when we were much fitter and didn't carry around our double chins.

FAST FORWARD:
My hair hangs down to my waist and we've both developed a few more lines on our faces. This is us now, looking slightly more bloated seasoned with only 3 hours sleep...

05.11.2010

The Koeln dome which pretty much looked the same since the last time we were there. Only difference was probably one of the steeples' were cleaner and the scaffolding had been moved to the next tower.


Smack bang in the middle of the city, we saw an archaeological site in progress.


And across a parking lot and next to some shops is "one of Cologne's oldest parish churches, it was modified several times during the Middle Ages and newly designed as a hall church between 1668 and 1672; steeple 1494 and facade 1896. The "Mourning Parents" are a replica and the original statues are now on the German war cemetery at Vladslo/Flanders in Belgium."

Those passersby can look through the metal gates to see that the roof is missing.


We also wasted some time looking in an antique shop that sold really expensive wooden furniture and ridiculously large metal animals.

Uh... OK.


At first i thought the price tag said 319 Euros, then figured out it was 39. But still, who would pay 39 Euros for a cracked frame and a dead leaf?


A fancy Koeln drain cover and an archway just above some apartments near the Rhine river.


Then as we were walking through one of the streets, we saw Hard Rock cafe. I was so excited, i insisted we go and have lunch there. It was much smaller than the one i had been to in Kuala Lumpur and helluva lot more expensive. At 10.25 Euros for a plate of cheese nachos, J and i made sure we cleaned the plate dry. But man, was every calorie worth it.

I ordered a veggie patty burger and a "Pickled Tink" which was a mix of Smirnoff Raspberry Vodka, Piña colada mix and fresh strawberries served frozen and garnished with two maraschino cherries.

It gave me a brain freeze but was totally yummy!


We accompanied his younger brother to get a haircut. Since there's nothing like a new hair do to make yourself feel just that little bit better after a break-up.

After waiting impatiently all afternoon, J finally received the phone call. Turned out they offered him a great deal with responsibilities he only dreamed of.

And so J was quick to accept.

So as part of his excitement, J insisted on buying me a pair of wedge boots from Buffalo. Buffalo is a shoe store that sells some really nice heels but are way over my budget. I often would bitch to him that i don't like wearing heels because they're so uncomfortable. So after trying on numerous pairs, J made me try on these and hoped they'd change my mind.

[source]

At first i was skeptical over those buckles. Looking a bit like my feet were parading around in a straight jacket, i was soon convinced they didn't look that bad. In fact, they added some character to the boots. And the dirt-like marks on the wedged part is apparently the new "vintage" look. New things made to look old.

Uh... OK. Whatever you say lady.

And the added insole i got is said to keep my feet warm when the temperature dips down lower.

Half an hour later, we left the store with another pair of shoes to add to my collection. And me being the abiding girlfriend, had successfully fulfilled J's [semi] heel fetish.

***

Oh and in case you didn't catch that...

We're moving to Koeln in January!

That gives us about seven weeks to get packed.

And so i'm sending out my wishes and hoping to find a somewhat centrally located, cat-friendly decent sized/priced 3-room apartment. Preferably, on the first floor with proper flooring. A balcony for the kitties and a built-in kitchen. Not forgetting a modern bathroom plus a bathtub and a toilet that doesn't belong in the 1920s. But more specifically a bathroom that also has a window.

Really, is it that too much to ask for?

BBB Adventures + Hard Cheese Roasted Potatoes

So i made it to Marktkauf - a bigger and more pricier supermarket than we'd normally go to. And seeing that i was on a mission to show my independence, i went there on my own by bicycle. Prior to leaving though, i checked google map to see if there was a shorter route that went through the forest and that used side streets with barely any traffic.


I waited for the rain to stop. Then armed myself with my trusty knapsack i got for free from the pet store and made sure i had several cloth bags in tow.

I also did my part for Mother Nature and made my way to the recycling bins just down the road. There you can recycle clear/green glass and old paper.

It's common practise in Germany to recycle.

In fact, i don't think i would be wrong if i said, it's frowned upon if you don't separate your trash. And by that i mean separating the tin cans, recyclable plastic and styrofoam from the paper and putting them in the designated bins/bags.

Having lived here for nearly three years, it's already become a habit.

So on to my supermarket adventure...

There's a small patch of trees that lie between the housing area and the small bridge that i had to cross to get to the next block.


And this was the spot that i nearly had a head-on collision with two oncoming cyclists with extremely bright lights on my way back. Like a moth to a flame with bad night vision, i was confused.

I should have known better not to go down there when the sun had gone down.

I was carrying way too much causing my weight to be unbalanced. And it didn't help that the leaves on the ground created an uneven surface to ride on.

I apologised to the cyclists as they passed me since it was technically my fault as i was riding on the wrong side of the unmarked "path". I don't think they were very happy since they didn't say anything back to me.

All i can say to that was good thing it was dark.

This is what i had to carry...

And yes, they were very heavy and full to the brim.

I managed to squeeze the CO2 bottle, 2kg worth of potatoes and god knows what else i bought into my knapsack but there was still heaps left i couldn't fit.

Oops.

And so i decided to buy a discounted Shopper Bag from Tchibo for 9 Euros.

[source]

It ended up being a great buy!

Not only is it super spacious and light, it even has a detachable bag inside. Yay for 2-in-1's! And considering how much crap i always bring with me on trips, i'd say it's great for traveling too.


And amongst the various other items i bought and not because we really needed it, i ended up buying a Himalayan Salt grinder [which so happens to be endorsed by Jamie Oliver]. Surprisingly, it ended up being slightly cheaper than the other brands.

What possesses anyone to buy Himalayan salt, you ask?

Well some time ago we were looking at buying a Himalayan Salt lamp.

Heat from the bulb [in the lamps] or flames [in the candle holders] causes salt to emit negative ions. These negative ions bond with pollutants in the air [positive ions] and neutralizes them. [source]

Being indecisive as to which one we actually wanted, we told the woman we'd come back later. She then gave us a free sample pack of Himalayan cooking salt. And so we've been using it for special occasions since the sample pack was really small.

Himalayan crystal salt is far superior to traditional iodized salt which is extremely toxic. Himalayan salt is millions of years old. It is a pure form of salt, untouched by many of the toxins and pollutants that pervade other forms of ocean salt. This crystal form of salt has also been maturing over the past 250 million years... [source]

The taste is slightly more intense and they argue that because of its intense flavor, they use less salt than they would when seasoning with table salt. [source]

But what i really needed from the supermarket was garlic salt.

Yes, i know i got a bit distracted but never mind.

Reason being was i was browsing through Meg Kat's blog yesterday and found Parmesan Roasted Potato Wedges [click to view recipe].


The recipe called for red potatoes but they didn't have any at the supermarket i was at, so i went with normal potatoes. I ended up using hard cheese instead of Parmesan because the price difference was immense. And seeing that i also bought a new garlic pepper grinder, i added some of that to the mix too.


It was definitely a nice change from the usual mashed potatoes with Dijon mustard or boiled potatoes smothered in butter and parsley i often would make to accompany our meals.

I sort of over baked them because i was waiting for J to come home from work and ended up leaving them inside the oven to cool. Nonetheless, they were crunchy and full of flavor. That said, i reckon using real Parmesan would have them tasting so much better.

Thanks Meg, i'll definitely be making them again!

There's Gratitude.

As i stood in my kitchen eating my way through a 400 gram jumbo roasted peanuts bag, i decided that being rewarded for all the hard work is worth all the effort. It's like eating pistachios, it's just not the same eating ones that have been already de-shelled.

Ya know what i mean?

Unless of course you're allergic to nuts then i guess you'd have no idea. But really it's often those simple pleasures in life that are taken for granted.

And as random as me sharing with you my adoration for peanuts, J came home yesterday afternoon in a much better mood.

*gasps*

I know right, shock horror!

I didn't question his sudden lift in spirits because i wasn't sure how long it would last. It's like trusting a tamed lion, how long can you really trust him before he lashes out and tries to rip your head off? The last thing i wanted was to jinx it and be in the front line for another outbreak.

But i went along with it and all was fine and dandy.

As mysterious as a sudden storm appearing out of nowhere, it felt like everything was back to normal. And by normal i mean we were chatting as if yesterday mornings' incident didn't even happen and we were back to calling each other by our pet name.

He even wandered over to my desk to ask how my work was going. And when i showed him my initial layouts he could only give me positive feedback.

And you know what, hearing him say those things was like my music to my ears and a real boost to my self-confidence.

Not only because i think it's a huge compliment that he thinks highly of my work but since i know he can be quite critical at times. For example, he would even spot the slightest misalignment or mistaken gradient change and insist i reprint it. Which, in a way, i am thankful that he has an eye for detail.

Generally i don't mind constructive criticisms but if it's only to criticize and put me down then it's only normal to become defensive.

AND

he even helped me prepare dinner.

Never mind all he did was roll out the pre-made pizza dough, cut the tomatoes and fed part of the canned tuna to Luna and Yoshi as a treat. It's the thought that counts and the voluntary help that i appreciated.

And even though he still went online to join his clan after dinner, i didn't make a fuss. Well not one that was that noticeable. So i thought it was only fair that i wasn't a complete bitch and rob him entirely of his obsession. However, i did have to ask whether he has any plans on gaming again tonight. He says, no not tonight.

Hmmm. We'll see about that.

Wait! There's more...

Instead of lighting his cigarette as he usual does in the living room, he went out on to the balcony to get his dose of nicotine. How long will this act of courtesy go on?

I can't be sure but i found it necessary to thank him when he came back in from the cold.

Unless you're new here and haven't been following my saga for the last two weeks, then you wouldn't know one of the main causes that sparked our uproar was me getting really pissed off with being forced to breathe in his secondhand smoke in the apartment.

As a born-again non-smoker, i'm particularly sensitive and it really makes no difference how many scented candles one lights at the end of the day. The odor of cigarette smoke continues to linger long after the fire has burnt out.

All in all, even though my day started on the shit side of the scale yesterday and i shed some tears of frustration, i can finally see some effort he is making to bring back the harmony. I guess at the end of the day whether one is in a relationship or not, what's important is understanding it takes a little give and take to find that balance.

Yes i know, i may sound like i'm preaching and once Monday rolls in there is that slight chance that a plethora of disagreements could have erupted over the weekend. And there i'll be back to square one wondering where we went wrong and whether all the heartache is really worth it.

So i'm bringing along a multi-pack of Smiles for tomorrows' overnight stay in Hamburg. And who knows, if all works out with Js job interview and they offer a good deal, we may just end up moving up there at the end of the year.

***

8:08

But before i fall off this wave of positivity and get pushed back into the deep end again, i wanted to personally thank again those who have commented, e-mailed, tweeted or inboxed me on facebook to show me their concern.

I am very touched that even though i may not know some of you at all, the thought that you even bothered to reach out to a stranger reassures me that my words have not completely gone to waste.

And to my silent readers, thank you for coming back to see if i haven't completely lost it.

We are Three.

I remember telling a friend that i'd never fall in love again and the chance of finding me dead in a single room apartment covered in scratches and stinking of cat pee were high.

How dramatic, i know.

But i honestly did feel that's how my life would end. I was depressive and couldn't see the positive out of any situation.

Then three years ago to this date, J walked back into my life after thirteen years. Or more like, i walked passed his, he recognised me and said, "hi...".

A definite case of being at the right place, at the right time.

And like an extended Summer fling, we spent the following months wrapped up in a long distance relationship unsure whether our lives would ever intertwine.

But as fate would have it, our lives did.


And so as i sit here sipping my morning coffee, shielded from the foggy 2˚C air, i am unable to imagine what my life would have been like had we gone separate directions.

All Good Things Do Happen in Threes and i am very grateful we've reached the three year milestone.

But we won't be able to celebrate today and pop open that chilled bottle of rosé tonight. J's got an all day and night event he has to take care of at work. But he promises me an Anniversary weekend.

Where we're going and what we're doing, he won't tell me. He says it's a surprise.

For all i know it may just be another bicycle ride around the block.

-__-

I guess you'll just have to find out next week.

Happy Malaysia Day!

In my thirty years of living, i've spent a total of about eight years of it in Malaysia. As an expatriate living there i had a love-hate relationship with the country. But now that i'm living on the other side of the world from it, i realised i do miss elements of the place.

What do i miss?

Well first and foremost, it would definitely be the food. Seriously, it's so good AND so much cheaper than here. Then a close second would be the handful of friendships i've managed to keep along the way.

To all my Malaysian friends and readers...

DiGi Malaysia Day - Astro My Story
Director: Rajay Singh / Eugene Lim Producer: Pete Singh
Line Producer: Lance Lim Agency: Naga DDB, Malaysia

Even if you're not Malaysian, you should still watch this DiGi advertisement. I think it's funny. It makes me smile. It's in Bahasa Melayu, which i don't understand but it's got English subtitles, so that helps.

Yes i know, eight years of living in the country and i still don't know how to speak Malay. I'm terrible, i know. But with practically everyone speaking English, i didn't find it necessary to learn a new dialect or language - well that's my excuse.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know what Sambal blachan is, it's a chili based sauce. A Malay style sambal consists of fresh chilis with toasted shrimp paste (belacan) which is then pounded in a stone mortar to which sugar and lime juice are added. [source]

I find it too hot but i know many people who LOVE IT!

DID YOU KNOW:
Malaysia Day is held on September 16 every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on the same date in 1963. It marked the joining together of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia. [source]

However, on August 7, 1965, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, decided upon the expulsion of Singapore from the Federation due to frequent disagreement in politics, economic, financial and social policies, leading to the Independence of Singapore on 9 August 1965. [source]

Malaysian culture or Malaya culture is a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and various indigenous tribes [source]

There ya go, just a little bit of history for ya on this sunny, 10˚C Thursday morning.

WF

You know when your relationship is starting to get serious,
when your boyfriend of twenty-days-shy-of-three years
suggests that the both of you start saving
for your Wedding Fund
.
.
.

*stares blankly at my
two single-digit bank balance*

Looks like it may take a while.

Although that said, my fingers are crossed that my client sends me the money they owe me next week.

Bills wait for no [wo]Man.

I know it's just a matter of learning how to save - a concept that obviously needs to be relooked at.

But now that Summer is just about over, i am confident that we're not planning on making any big trips until maybe next year. And so i continue to be grateful and pray to the Money Gods once again.

A Million Little Pieces

I've never really been a huge fan of reading. Although if i needed help to sleep, i'd just grab a book and before i know it it would put me to sleep.

It's no wonder sometimes it would take me months to even get to the half way point. And by the time i got there, i'd forget what the book would be about. It's terrible.

But i guess when my social life took a nose dive, i turned to other means to fill my boredom and 'reading' helped pass the time.

So after taking advantage of the free DVD rentals and unsuccessfully finding another decent English paperback at the local library, i was yearning for something else. A book that i could sink my teeth in and one that would follow me everywhere i went.

Then when my friend, BennyBooBubbles, insisted that A Million Little Pieces was a good read, i was curious.

And after reading the reviews here and here i was intrigued and had to order it from Amazon.de. And knowing that not everyone including Oprah feels the same way, makes me want to see what all the hoo-ha is about. OK i'm about 5 years too late but never mind.

...

And this is what the DHL delivery man brought for me today...

515 pages

Now let's see how long it'll take me to get through this baby.

Just One Can Make All The Difference.

IKEA's marketing ploy to brainwash their customers to think they're getting a good deal. Funny how one cent can make all the difference between another purchase and being ignored.

Oh.

And that this is my 1,000th attempt to dribble in Blogger.

Therefore, i'd like to wave hello to my random silent readers for eavesdropping. And to those dedicated ones who have been following my journey over the past days/months/years, thank you for reading and i do appreciate your thoughts.

Two Years Later...

It's Monday morning and normally by now i would be hitting the shower and getting ready to catch the 8:30am bus to my German class. But last Friday was our last day.

L to R: Mustapha, Evsi, Ludmilla, Aldona, Fatma, Alexander, Jade, Delman, Chiraz, Sona, Joanna, Gallini
+
a few others who are missing.

Instead of learning the usual grammar and doing past B1 German exam papers, we celebrated our last day by stuffing our faces with yummy food that everyone baked/cooked/bought and of course chatted in German with one another.

It feels kind of strange knowing that the course is done. Where has the past four weeks gone?

And although i am far from knowing everything that i need to know for the B1 level, i at least have a better understanding, or so i think. And out of the 3 practice tests that we did in class, i am proud to say that i got more than the minimum amount, meaning that i understand B1 German and i actually learned something, Danke schoen, Joanna!

I had the option whether or not i wanted to do the exam in March but i chose not to.

It costs a whopping 100 Euros just to do the exam and it doesn't guarantee that one will pass. But seeing that i don't really need the certificate as i already have a European passport and i'm not working somewhere that requires proof i know German, i decided to save my money.

But the next level up is B2 and that starts in a few months. I'm hoping to be more disciplined now and when i'm not working on my project, to actually go over my notes and study. Apparently, those doing the B2 course should already have a sound knowledge in the language and be quite fluent in speaking. Most importantly have a broad vocabulary - which i don't have at the moment.

But we're hoping that will change.

Yes, i am making more of an effort to try and speak German with J and vice versa. My sentences are still very basic like, What would you like to eat? or Do you know, what Time it is? Or repeating random phrases that i hear on TV and hoping that it sounds correct, or even asking J to translate something.

And as a result, i know J is proud of my effort. He often tells me how much i'm improving - a definite boost to my confidence.

I even try and speak to the kitties in German. Disciplining them with the word, "Nein" when they do something naughty or something they're not allowed to do. Or "Runter" [pronounced Ruhn-tuh] when they jump on a surface they're not allowed on. Or calling them "Kinder... Essen" [pronounced Kin-duh... Ess-sin] meaning Children... Food when i want to inform them it's their dinner time.

It's a slow process.

But i've noticed when i speak in English i frequently insert German words in my sentences. It comes almost naturally and much easier than trying to figure out what English word i actually wanted to use.

Did you know? Two years ago to this date [February 22nd] i packed a suitcase and got on a plane to this side of the world to see my sister. And in turn, turned over a new leaf.

Not knowing what the future had in store for J and i or whether or not i would even like it in Germany.

I took a chance.

And two years later, i can finally say, Oh mein Gott! Ich verstehe und spreche ein bisschen Deutsch. And actually mean it.

Staying focused.

Still not a morning person, i was up before the sun rise to make J his coffee and pack his breakfast so he wouldn't be late for work. Just so you know, we're on better terms with each other now. Let's just say we kissed and made up after our big fallout over the weekend and i'm more than certain both parties are making an extra effort to show the other they're doing their part for the relationship.

I realised believing in myself is much harder than painting a smile on my face.

But i'm trying.

The other day i purposely missed the bus that comes every 2 hours, to see if i could walk to the city centre on my own. The fresh snow melting air helped cleanse my thoughts and lungs. My doctor recommended that i continue to move that way i will heal faster. And although most of the serious pains have gone, i do occasionally cramp up and feel nausea but i'm thinking that is still part of the post-operation recovery process. Unfortunately, i can't properly lie on my side without support as my abdomen is still slightly sensitive but i am making progress.

So today instead of crawling back into bed at 7am, even though i could do with a few more hours of shut eye, i sat down and scribbled on a scrap paper my To Do list for the day:

• Do Laundry
• Iron shirts
• Upload photos
• Tidy up
• Clean the dishes
• Vacuum
  
• Work on logo design
• Write invoice
• Create work time-table
  
• Rearrange living room

Tomorrow our new super comfy, micro fibre, corner sofa bed that we ordered 2 weeks ago from Porta is finally being delivered!

It's similar in design and price to the one we saw in IKEA, however the material and colour of Porta's sofa is far more superior. Plus the mechanics of how the sofa turns into a bed is also much better.


So after much thought and taking into consideration that it originally was 300€ more than the advertised price, we decided it was a great deal. At last our days of sitting/lying on the spare mattress whilst watching TV/having dinner will soon be over.

...

Moving on, as i mentioned before, i've also taken on a 2-part project [a logo design + stationery and a corporate identity manual] all of which has a deadline of April. So the last few days i've been trying to build a momentum and get myself back into the swing of things.

And this coming Monday my German classes start up again so i predict the next month is going to be super challenging trying to juggle it all. I'm trying not to stress myself out about it and not get overwhelmed, so i keep my fingers crossed that i can get this job completed on time and one that i am satisfied with.


And to help with my inspiration, the other weekend i received two 12-kilo boxes stuffed with 24 graphic design books, courtesy of my parents. They're my old design reference books that i had bought a while back. But it's been about 2 years since i've flipped through their pages as they have been sitting in boxes in my folks place. So having them with me brings back memories and i'm hoping they'll reignite the Spark of Love i once had for Design.

And in another attempt to boost my design motivation i declared i needed a Pantone Formula Guide. For those of you who have no design background knowledge it's basically a booklet with 1,114 solid PANTONE Colors, including 14 base colors each with a particular code known as a PANTONE Metric System [PMS]. Each PMS colour is known to each printer worldwide and guarantees that no matter where you print the artwork, the colours will be the same. Icons are shown beneath each color to indicate that that particular colour can be reproduced in CMYK and/or RGB.

Believe me, it's much more exciting than it sounds.


So i made my first bid on eBay - yes i know, i'm a bit slow in this whole eBay business but i've never really had any interest to buy anything until recently and guess what? I WON! So now i am a proud owner of a new [still in shrink wrap] Pantone Formula Guide for Uncoated stock.

Including the shipping it cost me 28€ which saved me about 10+€ should i had decided to order it from a store. So yes that's something to be happy about.

I feel so Designery already.

And although i have yet to get my head around doing my website or being satisfied with my corporate identity and personal business card, i at least will know when my FA goes out to print my colours will be accurate.