Kooky Pics #379 DIY flowers

easy DIY bouquet for a special occasion. =)

Eyebrow Shaping and Grooming Tutorial

Lately, I've been on to the lookout for some DIY grooming tips on youtube.

It's easier to pay someone to thread or pluck or wax your brows or anywhere else but it costs money. With current circumstances, one has to be a little bit more thrifty and nifty.

This girl's tutorial on eyebrow shaping seems easy to follow...

All I need now is to find the mini shaver like kind of tool that will help to groom above my brows! =)

Kooky Pics #378 Jenny Sun Photography

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,

the things you are,

the things you never want to lose".

and JSP captures all that... memories.

(Picture is a compilation of JSP's works)

Browse through her works at Jenny Sun Photography or her FB page.

"Sexy" man waxing his armpit

I was looking at some DIY youtube clips on waxing, eyebrow shaping and easy hairstyles to try out and came across this hilarious clip... I feel his pain.

*HAHA*

Didn't know that men waxed too! Then again, never really gave a thought to it. It's always us, girls having to remove our hairs cos it's deemed "unsexy".

Urghh.... a bane of being a woman... a hairy one. =p

STOP CHILD ABUSE!!!

According to the Social Welfare Department of Malaysia, there are at least 1,000 children reported as victims. 1,000 at least! and this is not even taking into account the UNREPORTED cases which we know are many. Too MANY.

Abuse can come in many forms and I tell you this- Child Abuse is rampant! It is as rampant as people getting mugged or murdered, people contracting HIV and the list goes on. This abuse can be either from physical, emotional, neglect or sexual mistreatment. EVERYDAY a child somewhere in the world is being abused. Don't even talk about a child in a different country, just look at your neighbourhood, in your very own home. You might have been a victim and are still carrying the scars, the wounds.

WHAT IS PHYSICAL ABUSE?

Physical abuse of a child is when it involves hitting, slapping, bruising, choking, hard shaking or kicking a child and is not solely limited to those mentioned. Basically, it involves bodily harm to the child. Many a times we read in the news of domestic violence and usually, the mother bears the brunt to protect her children but there are times, many in fact, where the child, unfortunately is beaten up. Many children also die from this.

EMOTIONAL ABUSE IS...

Emotional abuse on the other hand is not physical but affects the emotional wellbeing of the child. When a child is constantly put down, called demeaning names or made to feel unwanted and not loved, it is called emotional abuse.

MY STORY

I remember when I was in my primary school years, whenever my dad said something not-too-nice, I would yell back at him saying that he may not physically abuse us but he definitely abuses us, emotionally, by calling us names etc. Emotional abuse is more subjective in the sense, if someone calls you names all the time, is that an abuse? And even if it constitutes as one, the fine line isn't clear. I think this is rather prevalent in Asian families where parents tend to talk down to the child, being harsh, thinking that it will toughen the child up.

A FRIEND'S STORY

Apparently he hates his father because when he was a child, his father, who was uneven tempered has very heated arguments with his mother. The mother would cower in fear as the father rage and sometimes throw furnitures in his fit of anger. When he drives and raves, he threatens to crash the car so that everyone will die!

What kind of father does that? What kind of person who claims to be an adult do such a thing?

There is a book "The boy called It" that was written from a personal experience of one who was abused as a child. The abuse that he suffered was definitely physical and emotional. The torture and horror he went through was inhuman and unnecessary and what made the crime worst was it was committed by someone who was supposed to love him unconditionally, someone who carried him for nine months, someone who "gave" life to him. Yup, his torturer was his mother.

His mother starved him, stabbed him in the stomach, forced him to drink ammonia and set him naked on a stove among other heinous abuses. I can only conclude that his mother was mentally instable because what sane, responsible adult would do that?

SEXUAL ABUSE IS AN ABOMINATION FORM OF ABUSE.

And lastly, sexual abuse is when a child is made to carry out sexual acts or forced to participate in one such as touching or being touched at their private parts or be looked at or forced to look at someone else's private parts.

SO, WHICH ABUSE TO CHOOSE FROM...

It's hard to say what acts of child abuse I never want to see happen when who wants ANY child to be abuse at all? In any form?? Would you ever want to be beaten, kicked, slapped or even burned? Called a garbage, a moron 24/7, every-single-day? Would you be able to withstand the shame, the pain, the scars of being sexually abuse?

Just the thought of it disgusts me. Just the thought of ANY child going through any of this horrors nauseates me.

Sadly, most cases of abuse is usually by someone KNOWN to the child- a parent, a guardian, a friend. And that is the worst crime ever- to breech a trust. Not just trust but it is inhuman, despicable! This are scars that the child will carry for life and sometimes, not seen nor empathise by the public, especially when they child does not receive appropriate help nor heals completely.

I recommend you to read more TRUE STORIES of child abuse and to go get "A child called IT" and read the horrors he went through to educate yourself on child abuse. The author, David Pelzer also wrote a few other books telling his journey to recovery which is a continual process.

If you know someone who is being abused or if you are being abused, don't keep silent. Seek help from a friend, from someone, anyone! Someone out there really cares and will help you.

So everyone, SAY NO TO CHILD ABUSE and never ever get BE an abuser, ever!

Lost wandering sheep

Picture taken from HERE.

Have you ever felt lost? Lost in life. Lost in love. Lost of any kind of direction. Just plain old fashioned lost?

So lost that you don't think you can ever find your way back. Ever again? So lost that you DON'T want to find your way back. You don't care if you ever did. You don't care if you destroyed what's left of your so-called-pathetic existence and nothing really matters anymore because you just don't matter.

Everyone has been at that juncture in life one time or another or currently is at that cross junction. I was at that place not once but many times in this past one to two years- I hated work which led me to make some silly actions that further fueled my hate of life. Family situation did not help matters but added fuel to the fire. On top of that, things weren't going well with Mr. C then and we both made mistakes.

I was frustrated that nothing was going right. Everything was against me. That was the general, daily feeling. You can tell me to be more positive, to NOT be so negative (as if I loved being pessimistic) but it was pointless. That was just how I felt, how I was. And when you're down, everything appears to go wrong. One thing after another, like a series of unfortunate events.

But came May 2009, I told myself that life really is too short for regrets and I didn't want to hit the big 3-0 to only still be living a life of regrets. By then, it will be late. Not too late to change but precious time would have past me by. Time that could've been better spent.

I thought that 2010 would be a new year, a year free of mistakes, of sadness but boy was I wrong. I made stupid calls one after another and hurt those close to me including myself. But somehow, that has lead me to be who I am now and for me to be where I am.

And my point is, the most important thing to bear in mind is to never, ever give up. No matter what. To know that somehow, someday, you will find the way back. It is just a matter of when. And that when can seem like an impossibility but trust me, it will come.

No matter how deep a hole you've buried for yourself. No matter how bad your actions and situation may seem, or what that has been done to you, it really isn't that bad. SERIOUSLY.

It just seems that way when you're in that mess at the moment. May it be cheating on your partner or being cheated on. Or yelling at friends and family or hurling hurtful words or at the receiving end instead. Or hating your work, your boss, your life.

There IS a rainbow at the end of the storm, a silver lining. Just give it time. And you'll find yourself back on the path.

The right path.

Marriage planning- Yours vs Parents

When a guy proposes to a girl and she says "yes"... that's actually the easiest part.

Because when it comes to wedding planning, it doesn't just involve only the bride and the groom and what they want. But it also makes up of each side's parents wishes. And in my opinion, to every couple, there is usually one side that will provide the headaches- in my case, I thought it was mine.

Don't even start with the wedding planning, talking about the registration to counselling and to church wedding etc. As I've blogged previously HERE, Mr. C is a Catholic and I, a Protestant. See, if it was left to him and I to SOLELY decide, I just have to war with him to get my way.

BUT if my parents and his come into the picture, I have my work cut out for me and I foresee a multitude of headaches awaiting to assail my poor mental mind.

My father said to make a small wedding reception- just a table or two and be done with it. My mothers says not to marry in a Catholic Church and my father says he won't walk me down the aisle because his heart won't be able to take the stress. Plus, he doesn't want to give me away.

To me, meeting half point will be marrying in an Anglican Church or simply have a garden wedding. Case solved. But nope, I think my future-in-laws now want the wedding to be held in a Catholic church by their priest which isn't exactly something I don't feel ecstatic about.

If Mr. C was a super devout and faithful Catholic, I won't argue about following who to which church. Where he is now, it'll be the blind leading the blind.

So, boys and girls, when your time comes, when your Romeo/ Prince Charming pops the question, be happy. Take a deep breathe and remember what is in store for you- your parents and the in-laws!

The Social Network (Facebook) review

Two Tuesdays ago, Mr. C and I went to Carindale Mall to watch The Social Network. For the outdated ones (kidding), The Social Network movie is about how Facebook came about- how Mark Zuckerberg from an idea, founded a social network that would be simply mind blasting in our today, modern world. As Barney Stinson of the hilarious television series, How I met your mother would put it- simply LEGEEEENDAAARY!

But along the way, he met certain kind of people such as Sean Parker and with fame, status, success comes a price. But at what cost? Was it necessary to betray a friend? A friend who was there from Day 1?

I really felt for Eduardo Severin, the supposed best friend that was stabbed at the end. Would you have betrayed your friend for success? For fame? For money?

My weakness- a sucker for the downtrodden. I do wonder how accurate the movie is to what really played out in real life.

My rating for the movie is a mere 3/5 as the movie felt a little draggy. Some parts could have been omitted. It is not a must watch for the plot or actors but more so for one to know how Facebook came about.

However, Luke of Luke is Handsome gave a better review than I. Read all about it HERE and also Green Tea Movie's sterling review. Watch it and tell me what you think about it.

I miss watching all the latest movies. =[

Timeless - Jason Chen and Jenny Suk

I was first introduced to Jason Chen when I stumbled across one of his covers- with a Joseph Vincent. It was really good. I enjoyed their version better as opposed to Nelly's original version.

Jason has had many videos of him singing many songs over a period of few years. I stumbled across the below one featuring him and Jenny Suk last week. They both sang this song- Timeless - that was first performed by Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini.

I like how their voices mesh well together and boy does Jenny have a sweet and strong voice. I would love to have her voice! =)

The original version featuring Kelly Clarkson duetting with Justin Guarini is as below. Although I am not exactly a die hard fan of Kelly Clarkson, it is indisputable that she really is the all time, one and only, true Americon Idol! However, listening to the above and the below, I have to say that I prefer Jenny Suk's version.

Timeless lyrics
Baby come close let me tell you this
In a whisper my heart says you know it too
Baby we both share a secret wish
And you feelin’ my love reaching out to you

Timeless
Don’t let it end (no)
Now that you’re right here in my arms where you should stay
Hold tight baby
Timeless
Don’t let it fade out of sight
Just let the moments sweep us both away
Lifting us to where
We both agree
This is timeless love

I see it all baby in your eyes
When you look at me you know i feel it too (yes I do)
So lets sail away and be forever baby
Where the crystal ocean melts into the sky
We shouldn’t let the moment pass
Making me shiver let’s make it last
Why should we lose it don’t ever let me go

Timeless
Don’t let it end (no)
Now that you’re right here in my arms where you should stay
Hold tight baby
Timeless
Don’t let it fade out of sight
Just let the moments sweep us both away
Lifting us to where
We both agree
This is timeless love

Yeah....
Baby its timeless
Oh baby its timeless

Timeless
Don’t let it fade out of sight
Just let the moments sweep us both away (just let the moments hey yeah)
Lifting us to where
We both agree
It’s just timeless
It’s just timeless

Love

Kooky Pics #376 Snail mail

I wished I had a mail for me... from you.

Kooky Pics #375 Spring, oh spring...

WTH Saturday

Today is a day filled with WTH moments.

WTH#1 It was a Saturday and I had to dragged myself out of bed at 9am, chomp down last night's left over pizza and gulp my hot tea made by Mr. C then drive myself to Paddington for the day. Paddington is a different suburb about 25minutes from Carindale and is where my aunt lives.

In Australian standards, 25minutes away is considered far.

My aunt, a real estate agent was having an open house for interested potential buyers to come and scout out the unit of the apartment for sale. And I, was there to assist her seeing that I am free, somewhat.

She told me to reach her house at 10am and I was there a few minutes after. BUT she was still asleep in dreamland!!! That is WTH #2. Then, WTH #3 was when she was grabbing a bite to eat, she glanced at me and lamented that she should give me some of her blouses!

I was dressed in black office skirt and panty hose matched with a brownish blouse from Jay Jays (in the above picture which was taken two weeks ago), completed with my Prima Vera black, pointy, sleek heels.

And FYI, I may not be dressed to the nines nor to impress but I definitely was presentable. So, seriously, I was irked and first thought, "wth"!

If my aunt had good fashion sense, then, alright, I concede her point. But she has not really been dressing up either IMHO but I bet you that she thinks she dresses well. Let's just say, you wouldn't call her a fashion guru. So, who was she to say that I needed new clothes? Hers of all people??!!

When she was done with her light breakfast, she drove us to St. Lucia - about 15minutes from her house - where the apartment for inspection is located. We were at a red traffic light and she turned to 'inspect' me. I was waiting for her to comment on something negatively and obviously something not too complimentary. Lo and behold, she did not disappoint!

WTH #4 was her saying that I should put some powder on my face. That it'll make some difference ie I'd look better. Seriously, I was less than an hour in her presence and she had managed to make a lot of negative comments continuously. If it were constructive criticism, I can accept albeit with some reluctance.

BUT to be talked down at, ridiculed at and always being patronised? It's downright taxing.

There are several more WTH moments with her but I think I've shared enough. At the end of the day, my aunt has aged and she's always been strong willed with her own mind and a tad judgmental. But I just keep telling myself to look at the BIG picture, that whatever it is, she loves me.

It's tough but I try.

Kooky Pics #374 Vignetted Blue Skies

Kooky Pics #373 Flower in the water

Hearts on sleeve

Picture taken from HERE.

Today, I wore my heart on my sleeve.

I wrote a long email to someone baring my heart and my soul. You see, something has been plaguing me for awhile now and last night, I couldn't seem to fall asleep and when I did, I had a few dreams. I dream of a certain part of my not-to-distant past which left me with no closure but a lot of unanswered questions.

If things had went differently, I might not be here today. But things didn't and here I am.

But that's not the point. You see, in order for me to move forward, I have to learn to let go this crucial part of me. This part of my past that actually affects and made the present me, me.

Out of this past - the many moments - I wished I had been more bold and had did many things differently. But I guess, the timing and circumstances just was never right. And perhaps, things just was never meant to be.

You know how you watch movies where Guy A likes Girl B but each was attached to their respective partners and neither ever made any move or said anything so it would seem that there was nothing more to the friendship. But in actual fact, they both actually liked each other all along. And talk about star crossed lovers, Juliet and Romeo takes the cake.

Or how about when a mother loses her child and tries to find him and they might have passed on the street but never knew that they were just within grasp. Or how a friend may have felt betrayed but it was never that but just a misunderstanding. Or how a friend might have stolen another friend's partner etc.

Well, all the above, it happened and ended the way it did because of timing, or fate, of misunderstandings and miscommunication. Because of that, things that might have happened, didn't.

I don't want to be the kind of person that misconstrues a line or an action. I don't want to take an instant and go poring over the rock, over and over, analysing things that very well might not even exist and hence, I wrote the email.

You called me your best friend and said that you didn't wanted to lose me but your actions were and are a far cry from that. And well, I wrote that email with the best of intentions and a means of moving forward. A step towards inner healing. I know that there is a possibility that I might not get a response and might lose a friend along the way but that's a price and a gamble I just have to take.

At the end of it, I deserve an answer. At the end of it, if I am worth it, we'll still be friends. If you're a friend, we'll still be friends. If you care for me, we'll still be friends.

And if we aren't, I'll know it's because you're a jerk and that you couldn't be bothered to do anything about it. But I hope you won't always be one and I still wish you all the best from the very bottom of my heart because I am me, because of you.

Sometimes, I do wish things might have taken a different course with no one getting hurt. I would have liked to know what could have been.

You know why? It's because I think, it would have been an interesting journey.

Kooky Pics #372 When change meet hue

Kooky Pics #371 In all it's original glory

Ever since Denise introduced me to Photoscape... I've been tinkering about trying on different effects. So, stay tune for the next two days of the same picture but in different styles. This is the original shot.

Kooky Pics #370 Spring

when F L O W E R S bloom

Of needles and blood

Pictures taken from HERE.

Today is yet another Monday in the fifty two weeks of a year. For all schooling kids, it is another week of classes and tuition and other activities made up of music, sports and so on.

For working people, it is the most dreaded day of the week- the first day of the working week and four more excruciatingly looooong days of hard work before comes the weekend. Beautiful weekend where one can kick back, chill and relax provided one has no draining obligations to carry out.

I no longer suffer from Monday blues as I used to whilst working in audit and at the bank back home in Malaysia but at the same time, I miss out on happy Fridays. I really do. Everyday is like Friday and weekends for me. Monday has become like any other days. It is another day of unemployment- freedom from the rat race (for now). Leading it to be yet another day of uncertainties.

It is truly awesome that it is another day I get to sort of relax and do whatever I want and whenever such as reading one of my many novels loaned from the library, surf the net for all kinds of information available, sleep if I am so inclined to and the list just goes on.

Today, Monday is all the above except that it is my brother's birthday. That and I'll be prodded by a needle. My brother's a big boy now but that's not the point of this post. And he probably doesn't want me to make a mountain out of it, let alone even make this tiny announcement.

Back to needles and being prodded. I don't faint at the sight of blood or needles unlike some people but I sure do get fainthearted. Can't tell if I get weak knees over it since I am usually sitting down awaiting my turn.

This brings me back to memories of my last medical check up last October that I had to undergo for my employment with the bank. There was a line of about three people ahead of me and I had the privilege to see each and everyone - reach their turn, sit on the black chair lay their arm out for the person in charge to draw blood - suffering the prick and for some, worst pained feeling ever.

It is a fairly quick and simple process but watching from a distant and waiting my turn just makes my hand clammy, wishing at the same time that someone was there to distract me from the sight of blood and needles and the thousand and one morbid thoughts assaulting my mind.

This is why despite my ardent desire to help those in need of blood, I have NEVER ever donated blood. I am ashame to admit this but nary a single drop. I almost did once during uni times and once at the bank when they were holding blood donation drive but the coward in my prevailed.

I don't know what is it about blood and needles that agitates me but it just does. Let's not even talk about peeing in a cup. At least, I don't get vein spasm like a friend of mine, inviting countless poking of the needle in various vain attempts to draw blood.

Do you get nervous when it comes to blood and needles or you're pretty much a cool cucumber with no apprehensive feelings?

You and I

We are total opposites,

Just like a coin.

You are heads

And I am tails.

You are the sun

and I am the moon.

Just like how I am night

and you are day.

You're all sunshine

and rainbow

and sun rays.

And I, gloomy skies

and thunderstorms

and rainy days.

Slapsticks are your flavour

but romance is my thing.

I love comedy

but yours is about being corny.

Rum and raisins grace your buds

I puke when they touch mine.

I love watermelon and kaya,

you can't stand the very taste of them.

Despite our many incompatibilities,

We still cling on to each other.

We are worlds apart

and yet somehow together.

Kooky Pics #370 Trinkets

Kam spam, this will be your ham! =D

Bad news

When one door closes, another opens. I really hope that's true because we're yet in another stormy sea and somehow, just somehow, we will make it through. That's all I can think and hope and pray. It's really ironic though when one of my prayers were answered just on Monday night and several days later, another doubt is thrown smack in my face. It's just obstacles after obstacles and I need a break. A reprieve.

It's actually bad news for Mr. C which indirectly is bad news for me because whatever that affects him, affects me. It's that simple.

Allied Brands who bought over Villa and Hut where Mr. C used to work have gone into administration since the end of October 2010. From it's CEO getting sacked in June 2010, to NOT paying it's super to their staff and the investigation into a breach of immigration laws to their license for Baskin Robbins being revoked, the Company has been facing a series of unfortunate events, devastating like a tidal wave. Read HERE for more news and info.

What I don't understand is how things got this far. What was the management of the Company doing all these while? A company, especially a big, public one like Allied Brand with Baskin Robbins and Krisyp Kreme under it's wing doesn't just go bust in a day nor in a year. Things like that definitely is a built up of mismanagement for over years or just plain hanky panky going on and even then...

Where were the directors that owed a fiduciary duty to the Company, to the shareholders? Most importantly, why was nothing picked up by their internal and external auditors? Where did it all fail and who is to be blame? In cases like this, everyone loves to point finger at everyone else.

Does anyone gives a fig what happens to the lives that are affected when shops are closed due to all the hanky panky and mismanagement of the Company?

Because on Wednesday around 3pm, whilst Mr. C was working, the Administrator for Allied Brand came to Villa and Hut at Carindale and nonchalantly informed those who were working at that moment that the shop is shutting and effectively, they were out of their job. They will be paid for their work but just not that day. Gee. Thank you very much.

If the Administrator did not plan to pay the wages of the staff for that day, they should have come in early in the morning at 9am, at least to inform people. How fair is it that you have workers working an honest living and for something that is not their fault, they don't get paid?

It's just ridiculous. Guess, Mr. C will have to pimp himself out for some cash so that we can weather this storm.

As if. =p

So now, we're living on crackers and water until Mr. C finds another job. Nah. I am kidding. It's a bad situation to be in but we're not that broke, yet that we can't afford to eat decent meals. Hopefully, he gets a full time engineering job although he does need a casual job to tide us through the days.

I am learning to have faith (trust me, it's not easy) and believing that He will be looking out for us.

Somehow.