He asks, "When will the shelves arrive?"

...Erm...4 days ago?

I keep meaning to write a post about men and vision. Did you know that studies have shown that men REALLY don’t have eyes for certain types of details?

If I weren’t in such a panic over this paper I have to send in by Friday, I’d research it right now and link you to a great article on this fascinating topic. BUT, for now, trust me (and overlook the fact that I’m no doctor and barely know a thing about men or marriage)–men can’t visually perceive the same details women do. In fact, basically, I think one could say it this way: Men can’t visually perceive details. This is why when they vacuum, it looks like no one has vacuumed. Same reason as when they beam with pride after fixing dinner despite the grease dripping from the kitchen ceiling and smushed food crap all over the floor–it’s not that messes don’t bother men; it goes a little deeper–they can’t even see the messes.

ANYWAY, Saturday last weekend we headed to IKEA to get ourselves a bookcase/shelf to get all my uni readers from last semester off the already crowded study, coffee and dining table (yes, that's how much I have to read in one semester) and make way for new readers starting next week. We had to get the shelves delivered because it was just too long/big to fit into our car (a Lexus ES300). We’ve had our wonderful new shelves for well over a week now which I assembled all by myself. It would take years before the bf would get round to assembling it if I had relied on him to assemble it. They are beautiful and I LOVE them sooooo much.

Several days ago, I mentioned to the bf that we’d gotten the shelves. Granted, this was a quick conversation, and he seemed preoccupied. But whatever. We’re busy, as you probably are–there’s just not always time for hour-long updates about stuff like furniture. Also note that the shelves are in a separate room, the study. But the study is where I spend most of the night in and the bf does walk in and out throughout the night to say hello. And I always leave the study door open so the bf could get a look even when he came home (still very late). Not to mention, all of the junk (books, DVD covers) that had been under the coffee table suddenly disappeared because it went onto our beautiful new shelves.

So, after literally 3-4 days of me beaming over our new shelves, the bf texts me, “So, did they deliver the shelves yet?”

KEK SI!!!!

Labels: life, personal, random, thoughts

of my winter best friends.



EQUINOX by Michael White

A brutal murder. A three-hundred-year conspiracy. A deadly secret. Equinox is a riveting story of Laura Niven as tries to find a muse to her mystery thriller novels. As she trudges down the lanes of her past life in Oxford, she soon finds herself more intricately wrapped-up in a real life murder case of sliced up throats and missing organs.

Equinox didn’t really satisfy my craving for page-turning. In fact, it reminded me of an all too familiar plot of an all too famous bestselling author — Dan Brown. Even the cover reminded me of Angels and Demons. Truth be told, I already predicted the ending based on Dan Brown’s repetitive plot. The novel’s point of view held similar characteristics to Dan Brown’s novels too. Setting the Dan Brown controversy aside, this book is quite a good read. It can satisfy your shallow craving for thrill, but it will never satisfy the hardcore. It’s historical references were quite dull too. Sorry Michael White, but you just didn’t pass my review.


Rating: 2/5




CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? by Sophie Kinsella

Emma Corrigan is your typical struggling-to-be-promoted junior marketing executive with a fear of flying. Once she gets on board a plane after quite the disastrous meeting, she begins to panic as the plane hits turbulence. Due to her panic, she begins spilling her innermost secrets about her work and her G-strings to a complete stranger. How lucky was she to find out that this complete stranger is actually the CEO of the company she works for! So much for that promotion.

Sophie Kinsella, renowned for her chick lit series Confessions of a Shopaholic, has once again captured the hearts of the happy-go-lucky with this almost “sitcom” novel. An easy read, this is perfect for relaxing and getting a kick out off others’ misfortune. Probably a great read when you have nothing better to do, when you’re having a lazy day on the beach or when you just need a good stress-reliever.

Rating: 4/5

Labels: book, Can you keep a secret, Equinox, Michael White, review, Sophie Kinsella

"World's oldest blogger" dies in Australia.

This is how far behind I am when it comes to local news. I buy the papers every couple of days with the motive of keeping up with the news (which is supposed to benefit me in my writing). However, it's only on Sunday that I get the chance to sit down on the lounge and browse through for interesting articles.

SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian woman described as the world's oldest Internet blogger has died at the age of 108 after posting a final message about singing "a happy song" in her nursing home.

Olive Riley "passed away peacefully on July 12 and will be mourned by thousands of Internet friends and hundreds of descendants and other relatives," a note on her website said.

Riley had posted more than 70 entries on her blog from Woy Woy on the east coast since February last year, sharing her thoughts on modern life and her experiences living through the entire 20th century.

Born in the outback town of Broken Hill (SA) on October 20 1899, she lived through two world wars and raised three children while doing various jobs, including ranch cook and barmaid.

In her final post on June 26, she wrote: "I can't believe I've been here in this nursing home for more than a week.

"How the days have flown, even though I've been in bed most of the time. I still feel weak, and can't shake off that bad cough.

"Penny, who's in the next bed to mine, had a visit one day this week from her daughter, who's a professional singer. Guess what happened! She and I sang a happy song, as I do every day, and before long we were joined by several nurses, who sang along too. It was quite a concert!"

Riley's blog, initially on www.allaboutolive.com.au and more recently at http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com, was "mind-blowing to her," her great-grandson Darren Stone said.

"She had people communicating with her from as far away as Russia and America on a continual basis, not just once in a while," he told the national AAP news agency.

"She enjoyed the notoriety -- it kept her mind fresh."

Source

Labels: Australia, death, oldest blogger, Olive Riley

Simply because I do enjoy food a lot and am currently trying to go on a very strict diet.

With the countless number of scrumptious food surrounding us, it's really quite hard to tell which is healthy, and which is just a plain tasty treat. I am guilty of ignoring nutrients and ingredients of the food I put in my mouth. In my 20 years of living, I have experienced the infinite number of diets that has surfaced this superficial world. Well, my body could do without some fat.

Did you know that yogurt can actually pass for dessert rather than a "healthy snack" because of too much sugar?

I for one did not know that. I'm affected though. I enjoy them. Thanks to Nestlé .

Labels: diet, health, Yahoo

Labels: timetable, uni

Molly @ 8 weeks (sleeping like an angel).

“Poor sleep has a price. Millions of individuals struggle to stay alert at home, in school, on the job - and on the road. Tragically, fatigue contributes to more than 100,000 police-reported highway crashes, causing 71,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths each year in the United States alone.”

– A statement from the Sleep Foundation.

We are not ignorant of the fact that there are men every day in business suits generating each and every denomination of money there ever was. We aren’t oblivious to the fact that there are students just like you and me fussing over the ala-Empire State building stack of projects and requirements (that we usually do deliberately at the last minute) our tutors ask us to do. All these hullabaloo that we’re all oh-so-deeply immersed in, usually sends us to a completely alternate universe. Well, maybe not completely, but alien enough to make our minds forget about time, and forget our sleeping times. We are all so caught up in the importance of getting that promotion (for those who are working) or needing that mark (a HD grade on a project) so badly (for the students) since it’s practically dictated by our society that these things are essential.

Though, it is true these are crucial, we tend to forget the equally vital. We disregard the other side of life. The side where we actually have to live as the normal animals that nature has dictated us to be. As I’ve read in Wikipedia and as, I’m sure, the nearest Biology teacher (or any other sane person to you) will say, regular sleep is necessary for survival.

Sleep increases our mortality. Those people sleeping for 4-6 hours have practically the same fatality rates as those who are moderately obese, so as those sleeping for more than 9 hours. People who sleep 8 hours a day, have a better chance at living – decreasing their risks of accidents and giving them a better immune system.

Though, I’m not telling you to completely disregard your efforts for your promotion or your project, I’m simply saying that we should prioritize and mark sleep in our organizers, even our imaginary ones. I’m pretty sure that cutting your chatting time short, or your SDO sessions with your friends wouldn’t hurt. Moreover, I’m sure you’d be more relieved to start your projects right away when it’s given. End procrastination and SLEEP.

And here I am, finishing up this article,

the clock blaring – 3:00 am.

I’m going to die early. Definitely.

Labels: Molly, puppy, sleep

A story of love, lust, lies, murder and loyalty, “The Godfather” by Mario Puzo is a tale of strategically plotted secrets and a detailed account of what people would do for power.


(WARNING! This post contains spoilers. It doesn’t ruin the story though, I think.)

Don Vito Corleone is the boss. Often regarded with respect as Godfather, he is the leader of one of the most powerful (Mafia) families in the country. Sollozo, a Turk who decides to enter the drug business, orders the Grandfather to be shot after a deal gone wrong — rather, a deal that got nowhere. Because of this Santino Corleone, the Don’s eldest, took over the family business for the meantime and worked to avenge his father’s downfall. A loop of sudden treachery, shocking murders and tricky business unfolds right before your eyes as Mario Puzo manages to tell the story so vividly.

For the longest of time the book sat on my desk unnoticed. I thought it boring and pointless, reading a page now and then but never really taking interest. I let books pass. I read a lot of chick lit books — easy reading to pass the time, you know? I don’t know what compelled me to finally pick up the book and finish it. Sheer boredom during the winter break maybe? Destiny? Whatever “force” pushed me led me to a completely marvelous book I’d never forget.

Mario Puzo has a way with words. The words just work for him and just spins itself into a legacy of well....a wonderful story! He gave life to names. He gave life to the people in his story and actually gave them each their character. In a way, he gave individuality to each of his characters yet intertwining their stories with not much difficult comprehension. He’ll make you feel what the characters feel. He’ll shock you, amaze you. It can even go as far as feeling respect to the fictional character of the Don.

I love the way he laid the story out. He didn’t write it down straight. He used twists and turns to form the story — flashbacks, different perspectives. It really worked for the novel.

He gave the story dimension. Not only did it focus on murder, murder, murder — it gave light on love, marriage, respect, drugs, business, culture and a lot of different scenes.

Despite it being about a Mafia (which actually appeals to me; I love the concept of Mafias), it taught me a lot of things about life. “Life is beautiful,” — nothing more precise than what the Don said. Despite the page-turning it actually got me thinking how fragile life is. Anger can lead to death. One bullet can take away your life. Your body can turn it's back on your and just suddenly stop functioning. So used the phrase is now, but what could be more true? Live life to the fullest.

It's served on a platter, the reality of our world — the deepest, darkest secrets of our dirty, dirty world.

This book will not be a waste of your time, I assure you.

Labels: book, review, the Godfather

Labels: holidays, uni, UniSA

I think part of the reason why the hold onto something so tight for so long

is because of the fear that something so great

will never happen twice.

Labels: life, personal, random, thoughts

Labels: downs, friends, luck, ups

I'm pissed.

I'm frustrated.

I'm disappointed.

I'm furious.

I'm clueless.

I'm upset.

I'm hurt.

This is me.

Human.

Labels: expressions, faces, life, personal, random, thoughts

Labels: friends

Even if it's for a week.

But... I HATE plane rides.

Getting the window seat and meeting the captain used to be things I looked forward to as a kid. It used to be an adventure. But as I got used to the less than satisfactory experience of economy class traveling, long international flights (7 hours from Adelaide to KL is pretty fucking long for me) have transformed into the part I dread most about my vacations.

The food on the plane is horrendous, but I force myself to eat the dry bread, the yucky salad and the chicken parmesan that doesn’t taste like chicken parmesan (and everything’s supposed to taste like chicken right?) just because I can't be bothered to get take aways or eat prior to the flight. The complementary salted nuts and choice of soda don't do my appetite any good either.

I hate those planes that only have TVs above the aisle. It forces me to look up the whole time and squint to read the subtitles that my neck and eyes just end up getting sore. Sometimes the headphones being handed out don’t even work properly. It’s impossible to be entertained if you can only hear out of one earjack.

I figured out that the best way to make long flights seem as short as possible is to sleep my way through it. I force myself to stay up the night before I travel so that I’ll end up dozing off as soon as I get on board the plane. Still, the closeness of each cabin seat makes me feel claustrophobic and uneasy. The person sitting right next to me might have bad breath and a tendency to snore or talk way too much. The airplane is not a place to make new friends and learn each other’s life stories.

The (all up) 9 hour plane ride back to Miri will most likely include a combination of the things that really annoy me. The process after it – passing through customs, waiting forever at the baggage claim and having to adjust to another time zone – that’s more than enough stress to erase the pleasant mood out of my trip.

So...on second thought, I'd rather just rot in Adelaide for another two weeks and be with my babies. And then it's back to the hell hole I call UNIVERSITY.

Labels: aeroplane, holidays

Labels: happiness

Labels: guys, house, life, thoughts

Labels: Molly, puppy, stitches, surgery, wound

Labels: Milo, Molly, puppies, sleep

I have been listening to some of my favorite rap tunes and I realized: I love it when rappers or singers use high-end designer names in their songs to further remind us that they are richer than us.

But there are some songs that just do a really damn good job of incorporating high-end designers…

Here’s an excerpt from a remix of “Hotel” by Cassidy featuring Trina and R. Kelly:

(for your convenience, I have bold-faced all the fashion designers and references to luxury lifestyle)

Miss Trina and I’m off the chain
And you know I do my thing in the Vera Wang
So fresh, so clean 20 karat pinky ring
I’m the baddest chick in Alexander McQueen
I’m back on the scene da chick of your dreams
You making me cream and you love how I scream
Now yous a real playa Cassidy
But tell the truth you don’t know a b*tch as bad as me
After the party is the after party
In the penthouse suite and we actin naughty
Dis chicks so nice, got the cris so nice
In the hotel room thoia thoing all night
And you know I’m ready, La’ Perle teddy
Rock the boat steady till I’m hot and sweaty
In the hotel motel make you wanna go tell
Your homeboys how I put it on you so well

This portion of the song was performed by Trina (a.k.a. THE BADDEST BITCH)

…and she certainly is the BADDEST because any female M.C. that incorporate fashion designers Alexander McQueen AND Vera Wang in her lyrics is good in my book! Trina definitely gets some fab points from me - and ain’t she hot?!

The next set of “haute” lyrics comes from R&B diva-of-all-trades, Beyonce and her remix to “In Da Club” originally sung by 50 Cent:

I’m the chick with the hot *ish, Manolo Blahnik
Jimmy Choo kicks, killin’ it, who you with?
Me and my girls at the party with the diamond Zinati’s
I’m that classy mami with the Marilyn Monroe body
I’m that fly chick 5′6 Marc Jacob mini
Ghetto fabulous, glamorous, its effortless
Make up light, we with my pastel Louis
Designer scarf, work of art, rockin’ vintage Pucci

Manolo Blahnik? Jimmy Choo? Marc Jacobs? Louis Vuitton? Pucci? Beyonce definitely knows her stuff! She gets two snaps with a twist and a kiss!

As much as I like how they used such prominent luxe names in their songs, the skeptical side of me is asking, “are these just shameless bouts of product placement? Do they get a Louis Vuitton bag every time they say `Louis Vuitton’?”

If that were the case, I’d have like over 100 LV bags by now.

Labels: Alexander McQueen, Beyonce, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, lyrics, Manolo Blahnik, Marc Jacobs, Pucci, rap, Trina, Vera Wang

Mia Rome, USD74 at Zappos.com

Ever since the movie “Gladiator” came out, women have been donning strap-happy gladiator style sandals as if they were ready to go into a last-woman standing chariot battle complete with tigers, maces, bows, arrows and Gucci handbags.

The gladiator sandal epidemic has become widespread, but when is a sandal too strappy? By that, I am referring to those sandals that creep up the leg and end at the knee.

Is this an endangered trend? Or is it one that we can expect to see a couple more seasons?

Labels: fashion, Gladiator, Mia Rome, shoes

Labels: Caltex, Dunhill, exhausted

Labels: karma, life, personal, random, thoughts

Labels: guys, house, life

Labels: bitch, fight, friends

Galliano makes it HAUTE with Dior!

I don’t even need to talk about the beauty of these pictures - they are just SO magical…but I’ll say a couple of words anyway.

John Galliano certainly has outdone himself with these gorgeously classic gowns for Dior’s Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2008/2009.

All these dresses are like something that Scarlett O’ Hara would wear - except the dresses are on steroids.

Models wear creations by British fashion designer John Galliano for Dior’s Haute Couture fall-winter 2008/2009 fashion collection, presented in Paris, Monday June 30, 2008. All photos by: AP Photo/Jacques Brinon

There is too much drama for yo’ mama with these dresses - and I mean that in the best way.

Labels: Dior, dress, fashion, haute couture, John Galliano

A model wears a creation made of plastic bags and entitled: Mother Teresa, by French fashion designer Frank Sorbier, as part of his Fall-Winter 2008/2009 collection presented at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, Wednesday, July 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

Mother Teresa would be so proud. I wonder if they used any plastic bags from Cotton On because those are my favorite. They are so durable and chic!

Labels: Cirque d'Hiver, dress, Fall-Winter 2008/2009, fashion, Frank Sorbier, Mother Teresa, Paris, plastic bags