tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021885361012539782024-03-19T08:06:57.819+08:00* merely human *Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.comBlogger1553125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-48568749286712189542024-03-15T14:03:00.002+08:002024-03-15T14:03:30.598+08:00Little Stories 279 : The Other Hike, Dune and Peaky Blinders<p> </p><p><b><u>The Taman Tugu Hike:</u></b></p><p><b><u><br /></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1RH3id5KlrpYbLXfGhwjYvev6inUv2Dhoq5ev5J8h9I2j_tZvySJ8DsNcN3JRR7Z-4DSw50rforbmxeDVH5V9PaN9vCp7I6P0Pm4tyzdVcKxQB3ITpiIsRVDbIfYTU5PpahsvbM4k0h8cBllzCkKhAGb4C54hNSLfXLycxT3kQHoMjMxKEcxHUB96Q/s1200/the-hike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1RH3id5KlrpYbLXfGhwjYvev6inUv2Dhoq5ev5J8h9I2j_tZvySJ8DsNcN3JRR7Z-4DSw50rforbmxeDVH5V9PaN9vCp7I6P0Pm4tyzdVcKxQB3ITpiIsRVDbIfYTU5PpahsvbM4k0h8cBllzCkKhAGb4C54hNSLfXLycxT3kQHoMjMxKEcxHUB96Q/s16000/the-hike.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">The latest hike we did was on the 29th Feb - we planned to redo the hike (full trail version this time) since our first hike in Taman Tugu last June. Here, please refer is <a href="https://tamantugu.my/location-map/"><i>the map</i></a> - we did it from CP1 until CP 30 and it took around 2 hours, started around 8 am and finished the hike around 10-ish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was really hungry after starting half of the hike because I didn't have my breakfast beforehand, I didn't bring any snacks because I was busy preparing Sofi for school before we went out so I forgot. Rookie mistake - <b>always bring snacks and a water bottle during a hike</b>. Then you can calmly consider extending your hiking session and even have a calmer walk in the forest. <i>Kalau tak,</i> apparently I annoyingly keep on thinking about my grumbling stomach and mentioned food to them. Which I don't usually do, but this time I did feel extra hungry. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a nice hike, even though the sun was quite high, it wasn't that hot. I enjoyed the hike, it was another good hike (but a hungry version). Thank you to Ms Chin and my brother. Oh, and we had brunch afterward. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>-</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Watched Dune 2 on iMax</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I did it, I watched both Dune & Dune 2 in the same week before puasa. Just because I wanted to watch AND eat something during the movie, so for the butter + sugary popcorn effect, now I got myself a pimply face. Kudos.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, the story was not something new - Star Wars said Dune copied Star Wars, and Dune said Star Wars copied them. In reality, it is just a representation of what's been happening in the real world kan so I think there shouldn't be an argument about that. They just turned something that is already there, into science fiction.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was a bit uncomfortable with the Islamic/Middle Eastern "inspiration": the chanting, the language, the name, the prayer session, the messiah premonition, the clothes, the culture, etc. "Lisan Al-Gaib", the jinns in the desert, the "Mahdi" - come on, calling Paul "Mahdi" when Paul is a white character as a savior in the foreign land, the so-called "savaged world". A white character comes as a savior, making use of a fictitious premonition done by the more powerful tribe, the "Bene-Gesserit" into his own agenda. </div><div><br /></div><div>To be fair, the writer himself didn't intend to make Paul a hero, he wanted to show the world the danger of a false messiah, he was an anti-hero. BUT, by putting Timothee as the main character, I know for sure, that not many people would see him as that, we can't deny that we rooted for the character. I mean, look at his hair and his doe-eyes:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://64.media.tumblr.com/d24439516112b560e27dfa7b26aa45e8/3001ef43ce57206d-e4/s540x810/be4ebe522bdf3c066ed70549cf852ab4f8199848.gifv" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="540" height="225" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/d24439516112b560e27dfa7b26aa45e8/3001ef43ce57206d-e4/s540x810/be4ebe522bdf3c066ed70549cf852ab4f8199848.gifv" width="540" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Why is it dangerous though? For most people, it is because of these kinds of representations that we create our perceptions with. The <i>white</i> character is always the 'hero' - even though in the story he is the manipulative one, and the other races are always shown as uncivilized or savaged characters which I really don't appreciate. They came to this foreign land, stole all the herbs, made money out of it, and treated the locals like criminals, and they are the hero? Have you ever heard this storyline? - always, all-the-time, it's live right now, all around the world. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>So yeah, I don't appreciate this kind of representation because I really feel like they have been holding on to the 'story' for a bit too long. I think it is time for people to realize that, yeah, the story-maker is always going to create the story that they intend to structure. By using stories we can control the people.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Dune, they used the premonition that the Bene Gesserit created and planned themselves. They foresaw his arrival, they implanted the idea for so long that it would look like a prophecy that came true. Look at how they show the Fremen when it really happened, is this how the writer thinks of our religions?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok ok ok, I'm a bit too deeply emotional about this. But yeah, if you can, take into account the stories, the representation, and the message when you read or watch something. <b>Then you can see, the real story outside of the story.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>-</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Peaky Blinders</u></b> </div><div><br /></div><div>Lately, I've been watching Peaky Blinders when I have the space, between works. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, of course, let's talk about why a character like Thomas Shelby could be seen as attractive? Hahaha. I don't talk from everyone else's pov, but from mine alone. Yes, I could see his charisma and intelligence, they are undeniably attractive features. But at the same time, can we really make a clear distinction between whether he is a bad guy or a good guy who had to do bad stuff? We could discuss that, and probably not have any definite answer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes people have to do something morally wrong, just to survive - maybe, in his situation, for him to not be bullied by the authority or other 'gangs', he knew what he really needed to protect his family was to go beyond what's wrong and what's right, he needed power. So that's what he did. He bent the rules, he closed his eyes, and he chose his battles. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I discussed with Af about this, he said that men adore his character, and I understand that. He has the power, intelligence, charisma, will and motivation. He is a good leader of his clan. But despite all the good qualities, I still feel that he is a bad person that shouldn't be adored. The only time I found him attractive was when he showed his softer side. See, women always see the softer side. The power doesn't impress us. We are physically weaker creatures, why do you think more power would impress us? I feel icky with the word "power".</div><div><br /></div><div>Every time he chose to do the right things, I approved, every time he showed his softer side, I rooted for him, when he fell in love and he was in pain, that's when I could relate and started to see him as a human. He is not a machine, he is not a good person, so psychologically, why do you think men want to be like him? </div><div><br /></div><div>But, between these 3 brothers, I would definitely go for Tommy (as a nerd, I am attracted to highly intelligent people). I rest my case. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://64.media.tumblr.com/45c227d42f9f6bf599a609643d6b96b6/c120cd5b50add210-f4/s500x750/0b8c0010ab0a5ad75a810308ed0d9f569b589eee.gifv" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="500" height="271" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/45c227d42f9f6bf599a609643d6b96b6/c120cd5b50add210-f4/s500x750/0b8c0010ab0a5ad75a810308ed0d9f569b589eee.gifv" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ok, I think enough for the puasa rambling.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">PS - I rushed to finish my work yesterday before the weekend so now I had free time and neck pain. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div>-</div><div><br /></div></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-26981598867815314342024-03-14T07:16:00.005+08:002024-03-14T07:17:24.652+08:00Books - The Courage To Be Disliked and Adler's Theory on Separation of Tasks<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm continuing back this book: <b>The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. </b>I bought this book last year and have been trying to finish this up (but it is taking too long).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The issue with this book is how it is written, the <i>penyampaian</i> of these philosophies - it is boring, well not as boring as reading a textbook, but boring enough. In this book, the philosopher is having a conversation with a youth, explaining the philosophical theories by Alfred Adler. No stories, just a really long conversation so it felt like ideas were being preached to me instead of reading a story. Why pretend like it is a story when the writers didn't want to explore the story properly? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Why take this road?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzzDVTA4TcDbctPjZBNjyUVqasXE7xyPnVJUrtCeCJQNHhlw5mdnWNwBSlBX4W8DD1Dj3cOir3raayap8uEVOpiE3Dz0g4pJNXpRxa6gC_NiRHZ7nbnGeLidqdPIZyAicqm2oTewERzPKyw6Ab4QBRaCkPxGFP1SV7M0M2k9fPl6INU_Qjm9zs0wt6w/s1200/Books7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzzDVTA4TcDbctPjZBNjyUVqasXE7xyPnVJUrtCeCJQNHhlw5mdnWNwBSlBX4W8DD1Dj3cOir3raayap8uEVOpiE3Dz0g4pJNXpRxa6gC_NiRHZ7nbnGeLidqdPIZyAicqm2oTewERzPKyw6Ab4QBRaCkPxGFP1SV7M0M2k9fPl6INU_Qjm9zs0wt6w/s16000/Books7.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Opinion: </b>I rather have not the teacher-student dynamic in a story because I don't feel comfortable with the idea of one person who feels like they are all-knowing and another is lost and seems 'empty'. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I feel like choosing the teacher-student dynamic in fiction is a bit lazy. Just to tell/explain your ideas/thoughts as a writer, you write about an all-knowing character and then this character feeds all the ideas to this other character who seems like needed your input. Instead of exploring the other ways to present these ideas. Every human with 'akal' is capable of constructing their own wisdom if they really make use of it well, so why would you deny that part. Why feed everything in one go, what's the thrill in that? Where is the human complexity in the characters? </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I love it when ideas are being presented most subtly or in stories within stories. I love when I have to do my own digging just to understand the idea, or when I have to think and discuss to know the possibilities of the ideas. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Any fiction, so this also goes into movies - not just books. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So for me, a story that explains everything *especially by its character is just not challenging enough. I'll get bored and even sometimes even offended when the character explains just everything. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But, that's just on my part. That is why I think this book is boring because it is just a conversation between the philosopher and the youth. But this might be my unpopular opinion, 3 million other people who bought this book might not agree with me :F</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On a second note, maybe the reason why I'm taking too long is because I need to think as these new ideas being presented in every chapter (especially when I haven't decided to agree or disagree with an idea). Here's a sample: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Separation of Tasks-</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li>Everyone has their own tasks, so your task is to fulfill yours</li><li>Do not intrude on other people's tasks</li></ol><div>In this chapter, the philosopher said that in general, all interpersonal relationship troubles are caused by intruding on other people's tasks or having one's own tasks intruded on. The philosopher gave an example of a child and a parent, where a child, has the responsibility to do his/her own homework, and as a parent, his/her responsibility is to provide all the assistance one possibly can and to remind the child of the task. That's it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not to force, beg, manipulate, or negotiate with the child, even though as a parent, we know better. Forcing the child and ignoring the child's intention will only lead to an intense reaction like anger or frustration. This goes on towards adulthood, for example when we want to choose our own path in the future, or regarding family responsibilities, or anything lah. Especially with family, we feel like we have the right to give our unsolicited advice kan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Adler said that it is better if <b>you just focus on your tasks</b>. Let everyone else focus on theirs - and don't intervene. You know what you need to do, and that is what's important. Macamana orang lain nak deal with their own tasks will be entirely up to them (their way, their pace, their decision) - even if you feel like you know better. Keep your right distance - macam <i>kaonashi</i> in Spirited Away, ada when needed kat sebelah.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, I've been thinking about whether this idea works in every situation or not, and whether it is valid. In a way, it's true lah, every family disagreement comes when one crosses their boundaries and starts to mess with other people's things. Wait, what if, this one person doesn't fulfill their responsibility and it affects the others? Arguments are bound to happen, kan. And to what extent? How about in a relationship, there are 2 people, and each with their own tasks - when to interfere?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok, I haven't decided, yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>-</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night, I dreamed about going to the library and it then rained hard.</div><div>Super-nerd dream. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note: Selamat Berpuasa !</p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-19583547672568094002024-03-07T09:30:00.002+08:002024-03-13T06:41:52.045+08:00Little Stories 278 : This Phase - 17 More Days<p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>A couple more weeks </b>to survive this crazy work phase (17 days to be exact) - of working full-time with 2 companies. At the same time, I managed to <b>officially finish all my client work <u>yesterday</u></b> and that felt like a burden being lifted off my shoulder - a bit. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Last night, I slept through the night for the first time. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I work on weekdays and weekends, early morning until night time, which includes public holidays. None respected my time because apparently as a "freelancer" I made myself available all the time (because I always work odd hours to manage multiple projects, so I just can't avoid contacting my clients during odd times as well). So we don't have the "after-hour" working limit. Af took Sofi out every weekend and I stayed home alone - working.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">At times, my stress level is at its peak all day long and I can feel it in my body. That's how sensitive I am now, I learned to feel the changes. When I'm stressed, I can't eat, usually, after I send my submission, all the hunger comes right in and I'll eat anything available then I'd have a stomach ache (perhaps due to indigestion). This keeps on repeating over and over again. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>I can't talk about anything else than work</b> - because that's what I do every day. Multiple works. I feel like the agency is eating my soul (maybe because we have a beef with each other) and it is unhealthy - but what else can I do except to endure this craziness. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Every time I tried to talk about it with someone they would always mention the money - <i>"ohh, the money would be worth it", "masyukk la kerja double duit double", "at least ada kerja dari takda kerja"</i>. Like everything is only about the money. The money does sound nice, yes, but money disappears like water, it helped in certain ways that I needed, but it won't stay for long. To have that much money, in exchange, it will drain my time, my energy, and my mental + physical health. I just want them to realize this part as well. <b>It comes with a cost.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So then, I realized that any problems that we have, <b>we don't have to share it with anyone because no one wants to know</b> - they don't really know what to say (yes, even family). I told Af that I would need to whine and complain for these 2 months because it need them all out of my system - verbally, and I don't need a solution because sometimes, I just want someone to listen to my daily problems. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I write here - to remember, if you happen to stumble on the blog where I whine and complain about work like any normal human - well, this is the current phase that I'm dealing with right now and I have nothing else to say other than about work. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tapi ok lah, only for 2 months. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But a really unhealthy 2 months.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Ok - see you after the typhoon ends.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">PS - I'm reading <b>"The Days of Abandonment" by Elena Ferrante </b>- which triggers the woman angst theme for this post. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-33653085502978556322024-02-18T11:51:00.002+08:002024-02-18T11:51:42.006+08:00Little Stories 277 : A Bit Tense, Lately<p><b><u>A Bit Too Tense :</u></b></p><p><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I've been having minor migraine for 5 days. I could even feel the pressure on my jaw. Yesterday I had to try the migraine massage in Putrajaya, just to try something. I know I'm stressed out and overbooked, but I have no option but to go through this until the end of March. This morning I woke up anxious, I couldn't eat and felt nauseous. I tried the acupressure mat and my heart rhythm slowed down a bit. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I tried the massage, I tried the acupressure mat, I tried drinking warm water (supposedly to hydrate), and I tried breathing practices. But I still can't manage my stress and anxiety. That was why I rejected the job in Nov in the first place because I can't deal with a time-constraint work environment - this first happened while I worked with MM then again with JA. Every time I get too stressed with work, my stress and anxiety will go spiralling. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So right now, I'm trying to write to clear up my head a bit. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This evening, I will try running. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I will try every healthy way to manage it until I can learn to regulate my own emotions because I can't let this cripple my career kan. There must be ways to have fun while over-working kot kan. Kah kah kah. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>One Day</b>:</u></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I knew I wrote it sometime back, <b><u><a href="https://doodle-from-me.blogspot.com/2013/04/movie-one-day.html">ten years ago to be exact</a></u></b>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's <b>One Day</b> - on Netflix. I loved it when I first read the book, and I kinda loved it when I watched the movie adaptation. This time, it is a 14-short episode on Netflix. I thought it would be fun to watch it while working, so I did. Just finished it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Did not make me cry this time - thought it would give me a good cry but it didn't. Maybe the reason was because : 1) I watched it while designing UI and 2) Both characters were not lovable - Emma in the movie was quirky, but in the series, she seems a bit snobbish. Dexter in both the movie and the series were annoying, so I'm not attached to either of them. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>It's about friendship and love.</b> Yes, same as what I wrote before, if it is meant to be, there's no point in running. Maktub. But for them to be together, both of them need to fall, grow, learn, and heal in their own ways. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">People who never read/watched the movie might be surprised by the ending. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, perhaps, get ready for a tissue?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Random things on books</b></u> (from draft post):</p><p> </p><p><b><u>On Buying Preloved Books</u></b>:</p><p>I bought 2 preloved books on <i>Carousell:</i></p><p></p><ul><li><b>10 minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World </b>by Elif Shafak</li><li><b>The Days of Abandonment</b> by Elena Ferrante</li></ul><p></p><p>I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to buy any books that I might not like - I prefer borrowing, but the options are so limited. So I had to swim through the list of books that people want to sell as preloved and I had to buy them. But I think I can resell them back later if I don't like them. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Reading in January:</u></b></p><p>After such a successful reading year in 2023, I decided to have a slow reading year in 2024. Since Jan, I only read 2 books: <b>Rosshalde by Hermann Hesse </b>+ <b>The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood</b>. </p><blockquote>“But who can remember pain, once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind.”</blockquote><p>I'm currently reading <b>Anxious People by Fredrick Backman,</b> it is such a boring book =.= So I stopped. Then I didn't have any time to read anymore. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>On Reading More HH's</u> :</b></p><p>I read another one of HH's underwhelming book written in 1914 - didn't like it and it took forever to finish it up even though it was not that long.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Herman Hesse's Books : </b></p><div><ul><li> 1904 - Peter Camenzind </li><li> 1906 - Beneath the Wheel ✓ </li><li> 1910 - Gertrude </li><li> 1914 - Rosshalde ✓</li><li> 1915 - Knulp ✓ </li><li> 1919 - Demian ✓ </li><li> 1922 - Siddhartha ✓ </li><li> 1927 - Steppenwolf ✓ </li><li> 1930 - Narcissus and Goldmund ✓ </li><li>1932 - Journey to the East ✓ </li><li> 1943 - The Glass Bead Game</li></ul><div>-</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Note: I have been drafting unfinished posts since Jan, so I decided to post them all here - unpolished. So later if I read back, I can 'feel' the phases that I went through and see how it got reflected in my writings. </div><div><br /></div><div>=.=</div><div><br /></div><div>Dah la, tonight I wanna go cry in my sleep (<i>tapi tak sempat sbb tertidur terus</i>). Zz.</div><div><br /></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-47629874277977830512024-02-12T17:08:00.000+08:002024-02-12T17:08:52.569+08:00Little Stories 276 : Two Weeks In - Feb<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Didn't feel like writing :F</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Work-wise:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">February is mostly a work month - I'm "supposedly" working full-time with 2 companies. The agency that tried to sue me because I signed a contract but I canceled on working with them before the date started (in Nov) and also the fintech that has been offering me a full-time position since July last year but has not yet given me a proper contract to sign half a year later. Like I said before, career-wise, it is an odd phase for me. I can't say for a fact that I am working officially for anyone - but, yes, I am working unofficially for them. Because of that, I can work 2 jobs right now, both remotely, but double the stress, and time. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I thought I'd be having a small celebratory holiday for finishing all the client's projects in Dec, maybe going somewhere, but no, I had to continue sitting in front of the screen every day (even on weekends and public holidays). I can't even have my weekly walk. Ok lah, maybe because I'm just a bit physically and mentally drained right now, so I'm a bit bitter. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Just tired, so I don't have the energy to sit and write. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I don't even listen to books.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And I wake up at 2-3 am every night. That one time, I woke up at 1 am and couldn't sleep afterward. Can you imagine the stress that I'm dealing with - I'm probably in my unhealthiest condition right now because I'm really bad at managing my stress. I looked old, I feel much older. I'm not in my content phase, so I got disassociated from life a lot. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>That's why I don't write. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">- </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Small Socializing:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I met Ms Chin again for the latest life updates. Been a while since I last met her, and we had a looong chat. Then we met up with Ma and the siblings (because it had been almost a month since we last met Ma), cooking sessions, balik Nilai, and lepak2 at my brother's. Simple socializing activities with the family. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The pictures in order:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li>The over-priced 3-hrs breakfast.</li><li>Syabu-syabu session at Ma's - during the first weekend. I watched the emo-batman (Robert Pattinson version) that weekend and ate ice cream. Never thought I would enjoy the movie. </li><li>Unplanned lunch at my brother's - I didn't expect a fancy lunch when he invited me, I thought it was something simple like nasi goreng.</li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJV6I6w9E36WTBbys8y-LRhF14DGQEyvBTmXdS1hTf2Dt4UpwPGErZ4mynRFSfOpN49bn3Efdm3BdNcEKA1YtrrBes468rqMVdOMcTaBZm9lKNHGwjpSV3BWuPhBZTWNsePA3LKLe16fwwOdeO0NuGyVRG1-nWg8fE4Hgac5eI09QJzf5Q9g343_iFWw/s1256/weekend.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJV6I6w9E36WTBbys8y-LRhF14DGQEyvBTmXdS1hTf2Dt4UpwPGErZ4mynRFSfOpN49bn3Efdm3BdNcEKA1YtrrBes468rqMVdOMcTaBZm9lKNHGwjpSV3BWuPhBZTWNsePA3LKLe16fwwOdeO0NuGyVRG1-nWg8fE4Hgac5eI09QJzf5Q9g343_iFWw/s16000/weekend.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Last weekend, during the CNY holiday - we had a brunch session at my brother's house. I woke up early to make mushroom/cauliflower soup at home. Then we went to my brother's to help with the cooking and prepping. It's cool that we can all work together in the kitchen now seamlessly. It didn't even feel like a chore but more like a family activity that we all seemed to enjoy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Tried practicing chess again after I left it in the school years, but can't seem to focus. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKxmuuVG8UYcfScfj9QO4x-eE1zbfmoIMujv_yrGCQhUdScek3WMp1g_BZDtM_1VWn8Yfi7PN3GTkGCpyGGG96V2ugl6hDjvRDjrfFW2sS8H4hQ6dsx8R1eGdDBtnbnQBNDcG4gYNh_l-GDqALOr_1POoUwUiWW2028-x8fzuNuocRylSH2W5yrlQ2w/s1255/weekend2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="1255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKxmuuVG8UYcfScfj9QO4x-eE1zbfmoIMujv_yrGCQhUdScek3WMp1g_BZDtM_1VWn8Yfi7PN3GTkGCpyGGG96V2ugl6hDjvRDjrfFW2sS8H4hQ6dsx8R1eGdDBtnbnQBNDcG4gYNh_l-GDqALOr_1POoUwUiWW2028-x8fzuNuocRylSH2W5yrlQ2w/s16000/weekend2.png" /></a></div>-<div><br /></div><div>Here's a selfie of the day I woke up at 1 am and couldn't sleep back again even after 2 hours of tossing and turning. I promise to manage my stress better this year so that I can sleep better again - this is probably a cry for help from my stressed mind. I should start running again, but I'm just too tired to do anything else:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5IWokxzFvKQ_pXUgFM-siP0fvfFPyVKSqrUtc0ihC-zN0XKl32NYXQm2xcnJ5Wy891xKRNqpdGyt-AvRmIuzRPhP7PQa-Uy1YR8LhmEwTKBYJ5kymFHHVEPhZgdtyoBmSOYH75jdsVB9S6TJ6wUFoa3zJJtXYP0X5Dj1FCg_SuSnLLYrwPXiwGf9fw/s500/0A104CBB-DDF6-4663-8CE5-0E05494A016B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5IWokxzFvKQ_pXUgFM-siP0fvfFPyVKSqrUtc0ihC-zN0XKl32NYXQm2xcnJ5Wy891xKRNqpdGyt-AvRmIuzRPhP7PQa-Uy1YR8LhmEwTKBYJ5kymFHHVEPhZgdtyoBmSOYH75jdsVB9S6TJ6wUFoa3zJJtXYP0X5Dj1FCg_SuSnLLYrwPXiwGf9fw/s320/0A104CBB-DDF6-4663-8CE5-0E05494A016B.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Note: All in all, I'm just a bit overworked and stressed out about my life in general. Like everyone else on the planet, I am just struggling to find the balance. But I'm grateful, always, because I am not depressed, and my will to live is still burning - it is just not perfect lah. No one's life is perfect kan. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">How are you so far?</div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-3128088497259091732024-01-25T08:02:00.001+08:002024-01-25T08:02:00.131+08:00Little Stories 275 : The Fancy Reception Dinner<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is the continuation of the last weekend's event.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was my cousin's reception dinner. Another fancy event to prepare and attend that caused havoc for our whole family the past couple of weeks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>About the face prep:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This time, I did try to make an extra effort - so my sister helped me with the eyeliner because I'm still a noob, I accidentally did it the wrong way because she was observing and I was too nervous. I managed to wipe them off, and she helped me with the 'tail'. I also patched my eye bag with a liquid BB cream - because I don't have concealer (but I think it looked ok). Then I use lip balm because I can't find lipstick and I haven't decided on which colour looks good on my skin (and personality) - plus I don't like the lipstick's texture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ok lah, I think it was a good effort to push myself to try something that I'm not good at and I looked decent enough for a function. Everyone else in my family looked divine and cool. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>About the baju:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I finally got my choice of clothes for the event. Somehow that week, Aja found my kebaya that matched the wedding's theme from our old <i>baju raya</i>, we didn't even know from which year because it was a long time ago but still fits me. The zipper from my kain was broken, so I used Ra's kain that fitted me well - and my sister also decided to wear her kebaya with Aja's old kain that somehow fitted her as well. So we found a loophole of not needing to buy anything new for the event! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And I borrowed my sister's mid-heel because mine was flat - I can't be the only short one outttt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The women can wear anything: dresses, <i>or kurung or kebaya.</i> The men need to wear a full suit - and because we never really needed to go to a function before, it was a bit problematic. The options were to buy, borrow, or rent. So they went on a long hunt of trying to find a suit that fits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>About the event:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The guest arrival started at 7.30 pm, I was ready with wudhu' at 7pm so that I could pray right-away after <i>azan</i> in my dad's room. Then there were canapes served in the foyer and in the ballroom where people could mingle around - I was not ready to socialized with strangers and my cousins, so we headed to the photo booth first to take our sibling's photo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Here is the fancy entrance:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">No one was cool, everyone was jakun together because the event was so extra, so fancy, so beautiful. Everyone was taking loads of photos and videos. In this pink phone booth, you can record a speech to the bride and groom :</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD-otGXrNmCLnoqvCrmWQHiIH6cpHhhPrr0l7JjuTuCSV4ic77jT83JzvGgroFvWlqGLRvVTAYecS5u7qy3NKdIf6Ug2nT2K_2a2-7nhVr5_4CwIVH7vE8wNjdNO-ECJ7iz6zQFrLDTL-W7mdwprrnL5G29_iuGGp_Bv88KAbPwo-RN8NmC_oxL-axw/s1396/Wed1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="1396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD-otGXrNmCLnoqvCrmWQHiIH6cpHhhPrr0l7JjuTuCSV4ic77jT83JzvGgroFvWlqGLRvVTAYecS5u7qy3NKdIf6Ug2nT2K_2a2-7nhVr5_4CwIVH7vE8wNjdNO-ECJ7iz6zQFrLDTL-W7mdwprrnL5G29_iuGGp_Bv88KAbPwo-RN8NmC_oxL-axw/s16000/Wed1.png" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>My Seating:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I'm thanking God Almighty for giving me such good seating. I got a seat next to my brother and Sara (my cousin) - on a supposedly close cousin's table (we stopped hanging out together in my teenage years), so it was awkward. Both my sisters were scattered elsewhere at other tables.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I also got a table near the front so it was <b>a good seating arrangement.</b> I have my brother, and I didn't have to chat because the background sound was so loud we literally needed to whisper or shout at each other to make a conversation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Everything worth mentioning:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2XTngaS4Yp/">This video</a> by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/toifilms/">ToiFilms</a></li><li>The dance performance by the bride & groom's friends</li><li>The speeches by the parents (it got me teared up)</li><li>The gift box (it was beautifully designed and we got a reed diffuser with a lovely smell)</li><li>The interior was by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rekateemor/">Reeka Timor</a></li><li>Meeting my whole family from the dad's side was also great</li><li>The guest room that my aunt got for each family (the room cost around rm 1.4k per night - which is craaazy expensive. Definitely a T20 experience)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU6opwPTIMTTkBc8K5gJYumhfp6HKCSpmBFaY4s6dfr9pXtPhYnc6K0xjH-nWwAJc52lTr1Rx7dw0-Y0I8HfqC-rTYhtEHJG3qPErR7s-4zjHWIfhhcxlvTqglduVB7d1BLUftPanj1ygpLKLI5sh3lo5T_Hq7ZEwLfGG2KbSBpiTg0Xga9-pLKeiWg/s882/Wed2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU6opwPTIMTTkBc8K5gJYumhfp6HKCSpmBFaY4s6dfr9pXtPhYnc6K0xjH-nWwAJc52lTr1Rx7dw0-Y0I8HfqC-rTYhtEHJG3qPErR7s-4zjHWIfhhcxlvTqglduVB7d1BLUftPanj1ygpLKLI5sh3lo5T_Hq7ZEwLfGG2KbSBpiTg0Xga9-pLKeiWg/s16000/Wed2.png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>-<div><br /></div><div><b>The food:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I shouldn't comment on the free food. But my cousin definitely put a lot of thought into choosing the best meal for the guest. I might not even have this chance again so this deserves a mention. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Appetizer: Tropical 'kerabu' mango & papaya with prawn </li><li>Soup: Roasted pumpkin soup with tom yam Cream, served with bread & french butter</li><li>Main: Grilled Beef Tenderloin</li><li>Dessert: Coconut Jelly</li></ul></div><div>I regretted choosing the beef tenderloin because it was so thick and grilled medium-raw. It was supposed to give a juicy texture but at this age, I can't appreciate the rawness because I keep on imagining the creature. It got the flesh smell. I couldn't finish it and passed it to my brother. But now I know that I can only eat overly cooked meat. Lesson learned. </div><div><br /></div><div>I now know that I make a better version of thick roasted pumpkin soup. Teehee.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04zo6yLg4tQ2OlStfidnYO_3mnM_UIt4FE8PnpJ_cOqyQXVOQXYHDVxy-x8dJe6lnM8LmdNyY2YthN3g4k1M1IRgYWFR6LWlPbi_Tcj1JnInQBrxJeUYcV3QsbhVEcfN7QpuEJOMaFDDgcFaxGpdjwCT77D7lPbxOVxZTFWEMJ8Utt7qvJ2PdNst1-A/s1394/Wed3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="1394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04zo6yLg4tQ2OlStfidnYO_3mnM_UIt4FE8PnpJ_cOqyQXVOQXYHDVxy-x8dJe6lnM8LmdNyY2YthN3g4k1M1IRgYWFR6LWlPbi_Tcj1JnInQBrxJeUYcV3QsbhVEcfN7QpuEJOMaFDDgcFaxGpdjwCT77D7lPbxOVxZTFWEMJ8Utt7qvJ2PdNst1-A/s16000/Wed3.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />-</div><div><br /></div><div>Note:</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope this doesn't make me look like I want to flaunt anything - it was a fancy wedding that I experienced for the first time, but we came as a representation of extended family members. Yes, my dad's siblings are quite successful in their own way. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have almost nothing compared to them, but <i>rezeki masing2 kan,</i> and I'm so happy to experience such an event. Happy for Lyssa, happy for Aunty Chu, I'm sure Arwah Uncle Raja would be so proud too. I missed him and his vibes.</div><div><br /></div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Anyway, congratulations to the whole family.</div><div><br />-</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pre-event:</b></div><div>A LOT of mirror photos and selfies. The older gen - always asked us to take their photos, but we the 'younger' ones, take photos mostly ourselves. So, it was the same thing, they take as many photos of themselves as we do, but they use us as the tool instead. </div><div><br /></div><div>I guess we can still enjoy being in vain while we can <span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.026px; text-align: justify;">♥︎ </span></div><div>May old age treat us lightly, and we can look back on the past with fond memories of our youth.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPdcG_qsh8pUigqXcL3q1oHqURgggEHklYs6xxUnjSoWIiEX1d6MQ4_3AiavoA80UvddY8UgSERRwIjsMusKr_PMGZ7LjorNejv3gsEX2hb57YutZWWXhrRVoF7Q47142QAm42aaXpsvbrXkz7qVfqsvK5LBZh2-TnddlafoSZpuPq7sjD5ZSLE0UXQ/s948/wed4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="948" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPdcG_qsh8pUigqXcL3q1oHqURgggEHklYs6xxUnjSoWIiEX1d6MQ4_3AiavoA80UvddY8UgSERRwIjsMusKr_PMGZ7LjorNejv3gsEX2hb57YutZWWXhrRVoF7Q47142QAm42aaXpsvbrXkz7qVfqsvK5LBZh2-TnddlafoSZpuPq7sjD5ZSLE0UXQ/s16000/wed4.png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div> <p></p></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-4153683679042128452024-01-18T18:00:00.001+08:002024-01-18T18:00:00.133+08:00Little Stories 274 : Treatment at Virtue TCM<p style="text-align: justify;">I went to a <b>de-stress treatment</b> at Virtue TCM in Bangsar South.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My sister paid for a de-stress treatment (guasha + cupping + acupuncture) for an hour. You get a consultation and an explanation about the whole treatment. After I explained my 'whole' health history, the practitioner explained and advised me on how to manage the stress and anxiety, how important it is to overcome the sleeping problem, the bad posture, the gut issues, etc etc etc. She suggested Chinese medicinal herbs for sleeping and gut issues, to help improve my body, so that I can manage my 'emotions' better - which I rejected for now (because I only have the budget for the treatment). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-q5KUV1vuVZ58Af5XGzXiTUwHKSAz19ynl8AOo7LKlJ3C_Mlv_6Fxao8YI-91o0g6Xzpht0GqiUD_uHXIMErls2l1-P3iKDU9v38c-sOwC2p7bDrDOgj6thKEst_34WF54aO9C_1Q_-5C72tHVAEIZUu2zoTT9Fwa-hVMgHcvDSjxXpjQO9wX0RccA/s1200/tcm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-q5KUV1vuVZ58Af5XGzXiTUwHKSAz19ynl8AOo7LKlJ3C_Mlv_6Fxao8YI-91o0g6Xzpht0GqiUD_uHXIMErls2l1-P3iKDU9v38c-sOwC2p7bDrDOgj6thKEst_34WF54aO9C_1Q_-5C72tHVAEIZUu2zoTT9Fwa-hVMgHcvDSjxXpjQO9wX0RccA/s16000/tcm.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Well, my stress and anxiety are manageable for now, I mean, we can't really run away from all the 'tests' in life kan. Tapi how I confront it, how my mind waives off, how strong my core is, all depend on a lot of stressor points and situations. I am trying to learn how to manage it, how to ask for help, and how to confront it. It takes time, a lot of slaps on the face, a lot of falling down and standing up again, a lot of reflection. But that's the process. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">- </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>About the treatment:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was asked to change into their clothes (a pair of shorts and a shirt with a button at the back). Then after I was ready, I was asked to lie down on the front.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The practitioner explained everything while doing the treatment, like sanitizing your back, starting off with scraping <i>(guasha)</i>, and all the steps. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">What really painful for me was<b> the scraping</b> because I could feel the stone scraping off my bones, especially on my problematic points like my neck and shoulder, also while doing the gliding<b> heat cupping</b> when the suction is a bit too strong, then when I was left with heavy glass cups on my back. The acupuncture was nothing, compared to the other two treatments. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But honest to say, despite all the destressing treatments that I've been doing since last week, my body is still tense. I could not even relax, I couldn't even sleep it off, I couldn't let gooo. What is wrong with me? There was a point where I couldn't even stay on my acupressure mat for 15 minutes at home because my heart was racing and my thoughts were wild. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I know I'm a bit tense and I pretend that it's a personal trait, but I think this is also a problem that I need to figure out/manage this year =.=</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media1.tenor.com/m/9vSlaZ1aaowAAAAd/silo-juliette-nichols.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="498" height="462" src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/9vSlaZ1aaowAAAAd/silo-juliette-nichols.gif" width="498" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>One day post-treatment</u>:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I've done this kind of treatment before in 2021 during my physio, so it was not my first. I remember that I was feeling beat up the next day, everything hurt and sore. It was uncomfortable. Sleeping was a pain, I slept for 10 hours last night. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The muscles on my neck are sore, I'm tired and most of my cupping bruises are now dark purplish-deep red, which indicates an unhealthy body:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thomsontcm.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/what-do-your-cupping-colours-tell-you-680x680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="680" height="680" src="https://www.thomsontcm.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/what-do-your-cupping-colours-tell-you-680x680.jpg" width="680" /></a></div><br /><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm not in any way mentally 'relaxed' but based on both of the treatments, they did let go of the muscle tension in my body and perhaps I can avoid neck or shoulder strain. Perhaps I should start yoga again because walking once a week is not enough. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Oh, and I tried <b>Maruki Ramen,</b> not as great as Kagura Ramen for the first time, but my brother insisted on trying the original ramen next time:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kb7Xq4hgWIm7w50of0_nrXz9suGl7gRjaWvsKOf52L5BxBaO5wdP2oK53j-JiiGdezUnaZt9-txmSeGCDYZXr-ss7BSvoh7wLGH7LXYhsago15dkacswU9Y9Mhf87uTEb1fmvmUNFYVgb8amljM5WNckfcye5VwASws5SCUqUkoRx1kIP8rkpSBfqw/s1200/ramen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kb7Xq4hgWIm7w50of0_nrXz9suGl7gRjaWvsKOf52L5BxBaO5wdP2oK53j-JiiGdezUnaZt9-txmSeGCDYZXr-ss7BSvoh7wLGH7LXYhsago15dkacswU9Y9Mhf87uTEb1fmvmUNFYVgb8amljM5WNckfcye5VwASws5SCUqUkoRx1kIP8rkpSBfqw/s16000/ramen.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>-</p><p><br /></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-58248511705825854702024-01-16T14:55:00.003+08:002024-01-16T14:58:07.076+08:00Series - Fleabag; by Phoebe Waller-Bridge<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Phoebe-Waller-Bridge-in-the-popular-show-Fleabag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="800" height="420" src="https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Phoebe-Waller-Bridge-in-the-popular-show-Fleabag.jpg" width="800" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> -<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">Don’t worry it does get better. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>You promise? </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I promise.
Listen, I was on the airplane the other day, and I realized, I mean, I’ve been longing to say this out loud, so..
Women are born with pain built in. It’s our physical destiny. Uh, period pains, sore boobs, childbirth, you know. We carry it within ourselves throughout our lives. Men don’t. They have to seek it out. They invent all these gods and demons and things, all so they can feel guilty about things, which is something we do very well on our own. Then they create wars so they can feel things and touch each other, and when there aren’t any wars, they can play sports. And we have it all going on in here, inside. We have pain on a cycle for years and years and years. And then, just when you feel you are making peace with it all, what happens? The menopause comes. The fucking menopause comes, and it is the most wonderful fucking thing in the world. And yes, your entire pelvic floor crumbles, and you get fucking hot, and no one cares, but then you’re free. No longer a slave, no longer a machine with parts. You’re just a person, in business. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Oh. I thought it was horrendous. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is horrendous, but then it is magnificent. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Something to look forward to.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Watched <b>Fleabag</b> to see what's the hype, and kinda excited over Andrew Scott taking a character of a very humanly-flawed priest. The messiness of the whole series is something that I've been appreciating lately because it's too flawed and too human, so I can't stop relating. Very cynical, very capricious, quite memorable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Watching something so imperfect and flawed is something else, especially in fiction, where things could be better and great and magical - all the time. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Good writing, Fleabag. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Andrew-Scott-and-Phoebe-Waller-Bridge-in-Fleabag.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Andrew-Scott-and-Phoebe-Waller-Bridge-in-Fleabag.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5" width="800" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>// it will pass</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="152" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/2zhfCGN6y15c4ArUHXi9g7?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-55558350308608519672024-01-15T15:38:00.002+08:002024-01-23T16:22:11.465+08:00Little Stories 273 : The Fancy Solemnization & Teatime at Broom<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Last weekend my siblings and I were invited to my cousin's Nikah (it has been a while since I went to a wedding). We were invited as the representative of the bride's family. I think it is one of the most stressful weddings we've been invited to because we had to make extra preparations - like wearing specific matching colours and with limited 'only-invite' seats (no kids event - means no Sofi), needing to arrive at the specific time, and of course, it was my dad's side of the family - so, if you know, you know. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">But it is the fanciest that I've been to so far. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was like being in the Crazy Rich Asian x Bridgerton. Everything was beautiful and bright and colourful and nicely designed. I had so much fun because I was off mommy-duty and I was with my siblings. I tried to socialize with my cousins, but like I said, it has been a while since I socialize and I forgot how to talk with people my age - or people in general. The aunts and uncles were fine, but cousins, it was awkward. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8E-MYi-3ezevYTUHPGxPK2cjeFGfsaGloNnOOcX2VEtNzMLCmKAdqsctbuEa7POa1rJ1jzonRy53QGOTLE6FvDYXQyifktMLj4XnBgULIaDMrUj5mp6Y74N5QaYCeHTaUvTWTcNn1GnIWuNvWz_ZNi5Cn_wa2ptBbG1R08ppT1w8JXbnJRJycL3Me2g/s1103/Broom3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8E-MYi-3ezevYTUHPGxPK2cjeFGfsaGloNnOOcX2VEtNzMLCmKAdqsctbuEa7POa1rJ1jzonRy53QGOTLE6FvDYXQyifktMLj4XnBgULIaDMrUj5mp6Y74N5QaYCeHTaUvTWTcNn1GnIWuNvWz_ZNi5Cn_wa2ptBbG1R08ppT1w8JXbnJRJycL3Me2g/s16000/Broom3.png" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We took tonnes of pictures because the lighting was great. We were the <i>kepochi</i> side of the family, we were all the <i>jakun</i> ones and we were okay with that. I mean why should we pretend when we were truly impressed <i>kan. </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, the wedding will be held next weekend and that's another stressful event to prepare for because I have not decided what to wear (the bride's family theme colour is gold/bronze - and I don't have anything in those colours). Plus the men need to wear full suits/tux and the women can wear anything but preferably in gold/bronze. Right.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>About the face and the tudung:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ah, an interesting note to mention (because my siblings asked - I wish they asked sooner), we were asked to wear pastel blue coloured clothes right, and the tudung needed to be as light as well. As you know, usually wearing lighter-colored <i>tudung </i>needs some kind of preparation or my face will look a bit dull in it. I don't wear makeup right, so I was not confident that I could wear anything in white/light grey. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">What I did was, I used <b>Garnier Vit C serum</b> for the past 3 months just to brighten up my face and to reduce uneven skin tones. That's what I meant by a stressful preparation. But it worked - I looked radiant even without makeup in the lightly-coloured tudung. So, if you need to attend a function and you need to wear white tudung, and you don't want to wear makeup, maybe you could try this too. Don't let anyone tell you that you need makeup when you don't want to wear them :F (but my mom didn't agree, so choose your battle).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>-<div><br /></div><div><b>The Tea-Time:</b><br /><p></p><p>Takde, we had no excuse. We just wanted to<i> lepak sama-sama</i> at a cafe. We went to Broom in PJ after the event - just because. I ordered a matcha latte (with soy milk) with apple crumble and then I couldn't sleep that night. My brother's apple pie was better I think. </p><p>Super note: I don't think dessert works for me anymore. I'm so sad. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWfrFYuDNAUrpaSwPvC2uZRbvzRdwyf2E2u5aKa0xpSf392TOZiwK8rR2qub-mKUMRFHYJNu2fr_wNWL7CRM7PQt4NXJFnGecUJpFboxf2tMb0LkQURJZ4Mc2elbSjcti9IzqMbZdjn1i8OcdRZ6hgy1SCJ8y8OwL18kGO89Ial-KTga8h8BDvqJGjA/s1463/Broom2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="1463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWfrFYuDNAUrpaSwPvC2uZRbvzRdwyf2E2u5aKa0xpSf392TOZiwK8rR2qub-mKUMRFHYJNu2fr_wNWL7CRM7PQt4NXJFnGecUJpFboxf2tMb0LkQURJZ4Mc2elbSjcti9IzqMbZdjn1i8OcdRZ6hgy1SCJ8y8OwL18kGO89Ial-KTga8h8BDvqJGjA/s16000/Broom2.png" /></a></div><br /></div><div>-</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The last week's massage + lunch treat:</b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I went to a 90-minute massage (as a birthday treat from Aja) last week, it was painful and good. A bit cold, didn't know why the spa was too cold during a massage session. Great session, but a bit too far from home. It was in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/honeyspabangi/?hl=en" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Honey Spa Bangi</a><b style="font-style: italic;">. </b>If I could go again, I would.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then Aja belanja me a samurai buffet in <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/samuraiyakiniku/">Samurai Yakiniku in Bangi</a>. </b>Basically unlimited yakitori and beef strips for syabu-syabu and yakiniku. They come with rice, miso soup, and salad as well. It was great until we became overly full (then looking at food wasn't that fun anymore). Beef is a rare commodity for me - but that was an interesting session that week. </div><div><br /></div><div>-</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Then the whole week:</b></div><div>I mostly worked. I've been juggling between a full-time job and several freelance projects these past few weeks. It is almost reaching the finish line, and perhaps I could get a breather after I send all the client projects - then maybe read a book or two or three. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>This was my song at the end of 2023:</b></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="152" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/5XsAal7ZcWg1I5T4NcRjkv?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-73346218871369340462024-01-08T08:00:00.015+08:002024-01-14T21:40:02.941+08:00Little Stories 272 : The First Week and It Was Our Birthday Week<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>On my birthday,</b> I was supposed to be working, but I decided to replace it with last month's work day and I was just on standby. I went out with Aja, Mi, and Ma (they picked me up to treat me to a late breakfast and lunch). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We went for a short 1-hr karaoke session. I'm not much of a singer (because I can't really sing), but I want to continue doing things that I'm uncomfortable with and all the firsts this year. Last year was interesting, and I think it would be fun to continue doing it this year just to loosen up a bit. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div>It was a decent day 🎂</div><div><br /></div><div>-</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Birthday Weekend :</b></div><div><br />We went to Homst for lunch and later tea-time at my brother's house.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>My sister got me a<b> De-Stress treatment</b> at Virtue TCM in Bangsar South - with acupuncture, cupping, and upper body<i> guasha</i>, plus an add-on of ear seed therapy. The timing is great because I kinda needed it. I booked the date for later.</li><li>Aja got me a <b>90-minute massage session</b> in Bangi (because I requested it as well), and a lunch birthday treat at Yakiniku & Sukiyaki buffet the next week. Plus the hair oil that I wanted.</li><li>My brother baked me <b>an apple pie </b>(as requested because we both don't eat cakes that often anymore). Other than that he made<b> soft-baked cookies with huge chunks</b> and gave me a new sling bag and gloves (as a reminder for our travel plan).<br /></li><li>Ma kinda went overboard and paid for a <b>facial treatment, and a makeup set</b> (she's still trying - so now I finally got makeup and ok, I'll learn but I won't promise that I'm going to use it as often), a new <b>plaid shirt</b>, and some <b>kitchen stuff</b>. </li></ul></div><div>This time, I actually only requested <i>me-time treats </i>from them, so that's why I got the facial and the massages but they always have extras as well because like I mentioned in my previous yearly birthday post - the sibling birthdays in my family are "our big events" because we only celebrate it twice a year (Azura & I) + (Aja & Azmi). Plus, Ma always went overboard with the presents - <i>siap ada lucky draw bagai.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>I also went out with Sofi & Af on Sunday, for a lunch treat and outing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCEIWXuTtPqh8FjTgEk_pAddii22s-pror-7sYqkZAeLide8KApjMkTO5ivTIQOscPa1SJLQ0m-CGaVv8hlaxaALvDyNC0GSxlYcXGCBXXppUVAbBNmxDDQx1qF9C0igCmq-0HbYVrwguhB_DU6iWVCnXleHffcM_Wr9j93qbh2YbOQRcJplUaKP1jw/s1173/Birthday%202024.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="1173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCEIWXuTtPqh8FjTgEk_pAddii22s-pror-7sYqkZAeLide8KApjMkTO5ivTIQOscPa1SJLQ0m-CGaVv8hlaxaALvDyNC0GSxlYcXGCBXXppUVAbBNmxDDQx1qF9C0igCmq-0HbYVrwguhB_DU6iWVCnXleHffcM_Wr9j93qbh2YbOQRcJplUaKP1jw/s16000/Birthday%202024.png" /></a></div><div>Note : The desserts were all home-made by my brother & sister ♥︎</div><div>Ohh yes, and I just turned 37.</div><br /><div>Thank you, everybody!</div><div>♥︎♥︎♥︎</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-4675233256344404782024-01-01T06:31:00.002+08:002024-01-03T09:04:57.869+08:00Little Stories 271 : New Year 2024 ✶<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We spent the early morning in Putrajaya on the first.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's a family tradition we are still continuing ♥︎</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymXktvK8FaYqzAHS4QX_uddwbW0aaYEjn-1TVxLte8DJBX0SMFcs47qq5OxAjXkmcXjiOYxyANJk2o7n6wYAO38wiNSAxKQz4jun6zVdvKQpnIPczbHDJliDrU4Tr0N0JqEjut9VXhLXimJ3en8A5XTCUdLygTiJU92_LcPnh_u-91zRzOcJGj32euA/s1100/1:1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymXktvK8FaYqzAHS4QX_uddwbW0aaYEjn-1TVxLte8DJBX0SMFcs47qq5OxAjXkmcXjiOYxyANJk2o7n6wYAO38wiNSAxKQz4jun6zVdvKQpnIPczbHDJliDrU4Tr0N0JqEjut9VXhLXimJ3en8A5XTCUdLygTiJU92_LcPnh_u-91zRzOcJGj32euA/s16000/1:1.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Af still had back pain, so Sofi rode the bicycle with me. Thankfully Putrajaya is not that hilly. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Almost had migraine afterward because of the heat and light, but the ice pack somehow worked. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy 2024 <span style="text-align: left;">✶</span></div><div><br /></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-28874407372980193872023-12-31T08:00:00.023+08:002024-01-02T06:10:35.209+08:00Compilation Post : End of the Year 2023<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Here's a 2023 Compilation:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>On Books: </u></b>I consumed<b> 99 books</b> this year ✎</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pCNVrjcKivcBl1H4dIKGn5HCrxhZJyf4qKVdAe58oUXvbBwNSqvc9VHLjBTcB_iGYaZLxGqR4mDucBa1dK2VB2Gowl69SzMEW_bEamUTr7NJLrBLgksvwLebV5a3NSSY_D3ajHpSps2oBEQDPDvIAMqbaPh1mwWP3xV_XSM5DKc2RzdfR5xEcGVEAw/s607/Screenshot%202024-01-01%20at%203.49.14%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="607" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pCNVrjcKivcBl1H4dIKGn5HCrxhZJyf4qKVdAe58oUXvbBwNSqvc9VHLjBTcB_iGYaZLxGqR4mDucBa1dK2VB2Gowl69SzMEW_bEamUTr7NJLrBLgksvwLebV5a3NSSY_D3ajHpSps2oBEQDPDvIAMqbaPh1mwWP3xV_XSM5DKc2RzdfR5xEcGVEAw/s16000/Screenshot%202024-01-01%20at%203.49.14%20PM.png" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Here are my top 10 books:</u></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Border of Paradise </b>by Esme Weijun Wang</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Search of Silence </b>by Poorna Bell</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Your Story</b> by Joanne Fedler</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bittersweet</b> by Susan Cain</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Reproduction</b> by Louisa Hall</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Women Talking</b> by Miriam Toews</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Notes on Grief</b> by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Consolations of Philosophy</b> by Alain de Botton</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>From Darkness Into Light</b> by A Helwa</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English</b> by Noor Naga</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I also found a bookish safe haven, in Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur, for half of 2023, I spent a lot of time in the bookstores all around KL but hardly bought any books. So when I found a reliable library to hide in, I was so excited. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I ended my 2023 by reading all the<b> Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles</b> ❀ and it was a 5 stars experience ⊹ ࣪ ˖</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;">-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>On Walking:</u> </b><span style="text-align: left;"><b>✦</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I stopped running and I started walking. The running doesn't align with my soul at this moment, so I started walking and it seemed to calm me a bit. I'm trying to walk in the city at least once every week, taking the whole day off and just having a long walk the whole day. I love it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I created a good EDC bag that I bring with me on my walks and it holds all my necessities. I think I'll share that in another post because I took months of walking to slowly develop a good EDC based on my needs. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>On Work:</u> </b><span style="text-align: left;"><b>✦</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This year, I aimed to work with a fintech kan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I got the job - it is still new, I got offered a full-time job with a fintech company starting Jan (been working as a freelancer with them this year) and am still on a project with a finance-related agency (due early Jan). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So for now, hopefully, the work part is okay.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>On health:</u> </b><span style="text-align: left;"><b>✦</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><b>Can't sleep</b>, this year is the year I am sleep-deprived (eh, probably sleep-deprived since I got Sofi kan). But other than sleeping issues, I don't have that much constant body pain compared to the last few years. Less episodes with neck strain, and shoulder/back pain. My advice is, if you have recurring body pain issues, try to look deeper into your mental health, whether you are experiencing constant stress, anxiety, unspoken unresolved issues, etc. </p><p><br /></p><p>What changed this year, is I confronted my issues and talked with my people - I no longer keep them aside, I choose to face them, and the load that I was carrying alone, is now shared. So the usual stiffness in my upper body due to these unresolved issues that I was keeping, has lessened. There is a term called 'somatization', the expression of psychological or emotional factors as physical (somatic) symptoms. For example, stress can cause some people to develop headaches, chest pain, back pain, nausea, or fatigue. It is real and I had them for several years because I tried to handle everything myself, it was eating me from the inside. </p><p><br /></p><p>Well, this year for me was better regarding the body pain issues.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, I now have <b>a sleeping problem</b> - I wake up too early, to manage this, I try to sleep in early (around 8ish pm). But I still wake up around 3 - 4 am, sometimes even around 2 am. Then I toss and turn until 4 - 5 am to start my day. This is new, so I don't know how to solve this problem yet. </p><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />-</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>On Writing:</b></u> ✦</p><p>I wanted to write 8 posts every month on this blog and I managed to do that.</p><p>I also write in my journal (when I can) and do some kind of fiction writing, so I think that's a good start.</p><p><br /></p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p>Honestly, I'm not excited for anything in 2024, I just want it to be a better wholesome year for me,<b> less struggle, less drama, less pain. </b></p><p><br /></p><p>Also, saying <b>hello to 37</b> with open hands .𖥔 ݁ ˖</p><p><br /></p></div><p></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-87192704064826027102023-12-30T08:32:00.001+08:002024-01-01T15:47:57.741+08:00Little Stories 270 : School Holiday Version 2 •ᴗ•<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This was from the <b>Thai theme weekend</b> at my brother's last week. Zakuan went back home to Penang so we had a small mini-gathering together. I forgot all the names of the food, but the Thai squid salad that my sister made was so good, then the green curry and tom yam were also great (those were made by my brother). I was a bit busy this time around, so I only made tofu fried egg and helped around - hehe:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93Z6kijcZZ6gui8Wy2RDI8MkCLAt8T8N59TS_RYHEEucADBNuokrMmNmZJ95jLwrU5u0gMbMXxWHL6fzw00RP6fPc2DcNTkF2xwN2FtWURniGCvlASC0TBKJU64YrKnKFygsecWhohcXciD8FdFhzb2bgdouDfTyyx1razV5-nyEBQdewOowaAV9UxA/s1200/blog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93Z6kijcZZ6gui8Wy2RDI8MkCLAt8T8N59TS_RYHEEucADBNuokrMmNmZJ95jLwrU5u0gMbMXxWHL6fzw00RP6fPc2DcNTkF2xwN2FtWURniGCvlASC0TBKJU64YrKnKFygsecWhohcXciD8FdFhzb2bgdouDfTyyx1razV5-nyEBQdewOowaAV9UxA/s16000/blog3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p><b><u>On Spending Time with Sofi During School Holiday:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Af and Sofi were supposed to go back to Raub on Monday, but Af accidentally injured his back when he tried to pick up the luggage the wrong way. So he had a back strain (and I know what that feels like), so he can't go back like planned. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">To improvise the plan, I postponed all my datelines and <b>I went back to Ma's</b> with Sofi because we already promised Sofi about going back to <i>kampung</i> several times. So we spent 3 days at Ma's - Sofi had a blast, and I had semi-anxiety thinking about work (apparently I'm quite bad at compartmentalizing, hah). We went to Seremban, I cooked, and I cleaned the toilets, not that many activities in 3 days but at least Sofi had real fun with Atuk and Tokma outdoors (she even said ok to the idea of leaving me at home to go <i>jalan2</i> with Tokma - betrayer) =.= </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VAYG3gmEs35bqnjI8VN7Y_Bn6ihGfKTQ6nucJ2MiJ-E3EV_G_00zBYixH1YIiSK2IUZbZIDN003zCr6qfIIY9FPmeLU62_H7GjxwqPaRLU4Fe6OQ_V7jFbuyi_pvKicRnevFwm0c9HGTubLlQEtlYjOdDoOQgSWlAr809o4YzD8YyRCNXqzTWty9xg/s1200/blog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VAYG3gmEs35bqnjI8VN7Y_Bn6ihGfKTQ6nucJ2MiJ-E3EV_G_00zBYixH1YIiSK2IUZbZIDN003zCr6qfIIY9FPmeLU62_H7GjxwqPaRLU4Fe6OQ_V7jFbuyi_pvKicRnevFwm0c9HGTubLlQEtlYjOdDoOQgSWlAr809o4YzD8YyRCNXqzTWty9xg/s16000/blog4.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Af rested well, on Wednesday he drove to pick us up, and then they went back to Raub the next day until the weekend.<b> </b><b>Leaving me to focus on work. </b>I was home alone for 4 days and this cheeky little girl didn't even want to come back home afterward because all her cousins were there =.= </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, <b>Sofi managed to spend a week in both kampungs before school started </b><i><b>(mission accomplished)</b></i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>On Work:</u></b></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I <b>completed the guidebook</b> and passed the draft to the team before the week ended.</li><li>I started on the Noko project for the <b>colouring part sample.</b></li><li>I finally managed to<b> start working on last week's task</b> by my boss - this was postponed twice, but I completed one part of it. I have several more different tasks that I haven't finished and started. </li></ol><p></p><p>I'm supposed to <b>start working full-time</b> starting in January. </p><p><br /></p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>On Staying At Home Alone:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I've been running low on my social energy all throughout the school holiday because Sofi was super-clingy with me. As an introverted person, I need the time to recharge or I'll be overwhelmed and irritable. Especially if I'm with such an energetic person and Sofi, yes, she's an adorable kid, but her energy is so loud and radiant. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then Af and Sofi went back to Raub.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was home alone for the first time in forever.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">So I worked and worked, and worked. I didn't take care of the food intake for sure because it was work time kan, then I felt awful because<i> perut masuk angin</i>, then I started to properly make time to cook and eat, I still slept in early because I still woke up super early, then I had to put it stretches and workout rep in the schedule as well, <i>sebab</i> I can go on working long-hours and it is unhealthy. Then I started having neck and shoulder pain because I didn't have a healthy relationship with work (so I had to use my acupressure mat every night before sleep). This cycle is ridiculous, you can feel the old-age is coming.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then, I started my period and things went haywire - I was having so many annoying symptoms like fatigue (so I couldn't work), then bloating (so every time I eat I feel awful), then some mixture of mini anxiety, then the lightheadedness and of course, the most epic one, the crying. And yess, the pimple series. I knew it was coming because I had a migraine several days before, then the random palpitation even though I'm off caffeine. But this time, it was a bit dramatic because there were too many symptoms in one shot, by the end of 2023, I was just miserable. I was mentally and physically miserable. But that's what being a woman is. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I recharged my social battery and missed my bb so much.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank you Af for giving me time to work and recharge. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a nice early-birthday present for me.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>On Cooking for Myself:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I looove soup, so I decided to make a chowder - originally a seafood chowder, but I only have salmon in the fridge and I used that. I used all the veggies I had to make the base: onion, garlic, potato, cauliflower, pakchoy, tomato, and mushroom. Boiled them up together and blended them for the base, also, the trick is to put some of the salmon fats and skin in the base soup to give the taste and smell. I didn't have to use any cream, the base was creamy enough from the potato and cauliflower. Put some salmon chunks later. So, all fibers and protein in a soup - easy food cheat for people who are too lazy to eat. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then sprinkle some black pepper, mushroom seasoning, and butter for the taste.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I also made a nice tomato soup just baked tomato and garlic for 40 minutes for the soup base. I tried sautee-tomato for the tomato soup base before but it doesn't taste as flavourful as the baked ones: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJSOFDscWKpV6W1y1ngwxxcr_Lgm0JOI8RAdZlVnE7xU-S04v8SMTeCS56gBY6s97xXo10k4Ag_ndpzSDRtvqtERZ3hxs7hzDxxQctEcFJrAuAnCpXb28f78z8dT-_3JRa4lZ11mK1hLsTJqYPZ6JFT1rGoCJiaIAuVi_j4nfGGNK4jjcXDexEPr1_Q/s1200/blog5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJSOFDscWKpV6W1y1ngwxxcr_Lgm0JOI8RAdZlVnE7xU-S04v8SMTeCS56gBY6s97xXo10k4Ag_ndpzSDRtvqtERZ3hxs7hzDxxQctEcFJrAuAnCpXb28f78z8dT-_3JRa4lZ11mK1hLsTJqYPZ6JFT1rGoCJiaIAuVi_j4nfGGNK4jjcXDexEPr1_Q/s16000/blog5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Note: I've been drafting this post since the early final week of 2023, but I felt awful by the end of the week because of my period so I just kept it in draft until I did the final editing. Bye bye 2023 !</p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-61889735542701604562023-12-24T08:32:00.000+08:002023-12-24T08:32:32.537+08:00Little Stories 269 : School Holiday Version •ᴗ•<p> </p><p><b><u>On Work:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I made it! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><b>I finalized and passed all the files</b> for the Raya project with a skincare company next year.</li><li><b>I submitted draft 2</b> of the guidebook project this week during a school holiday and moved on to <b>complete the whole book</b> by the weekend. </li><li>Also, I had more <b>incoming design tasks for freelance work</b> but I can't do them yet (and I asked to postpone the due date because it's the school holiday) </li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wake up early in the morning to start my day early, and then I try to do as much as I can while getting distracted every now and then. (even though I can start work at 4 am, she can wake up as early as 5-6 am when she finds out I am not sleeping next to her). So, yeah, it's a phase. It is extremely challenging to work during a school holiday because Sofi is around 24/7 and really clingy. But I made it so far. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My initial plan is to finish up the whole guidebook draft by this weekend or maybe early next week (I asked Af to take care of Sofi during that time so that I could focus on finalizing the complete draft). Then I can submit the draft to the team by next week, and they will probably revert back next year because most people are already on long extended holiday until next year kan. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So that's my initial plan, for now, one step at a time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>On Spending Time with Sofi During a School Holiday</u></b>:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">1. <b>We watched a movie at a theater for the first time. </b>Aja wanted to bring Sofi to watch 'Wish' so we went there on a Tuesday morning - the first viewing was at 1020 am but the ticket was not listed as 'early bird' and it cost RM 28 each for an adult <i>(agak pricy di situ compared to TGV)</i>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKu5khUML_fVM2k4mQ-afNEg_QClqyDu-FJ3HnwUHHph2mRsY86pTGHhelT7OPTH2DrVqoYBNixxoZSs9WJbNS9R9VuKh_IwOQUPxjERb4dhryfKv5vPY0vOBeSKT4BDYqV8IsBn79SLJfmwjzXrjxc0G9L7UeenNdEh0A4rX5BEtSLTmVpN9j8jX9w/s1200/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKu5khUML_fVM2k4mQ-afNEg_QClqyDu-FJ3HnwUHHph2mRsY86pTGHhelT7OPTH2DrVqoYBNixxoZSs9WJbNS9R9VuKh_IwOQUPxjERb4dhryfKv5vPY0vOBeSKT4BDYqV8IsBn79SLJfmwjzXrjxc0G9L7UeenNdEh0A4rX5BEtSLTmVpN9j8jX9w/s16000/blog.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We were around 1/2 hour early so Sofi already stuffed<i> her poyot</i> with half of the sugary popcorn by the time the movie started. When it started, the cinema theater was empty except for the 3 of us - and Sofi, clearly having a sugar rush from all the popcorn she had just eaten, couldn't really sit still throughout the movie. But it was manageable la, she stood up and swung in front of her chair when there were songs, explored the stairs next to me, sat on me, and continued eating her popcorn. Minor stuff like that.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">No extreme stuff like crying or whining, feeling bored, and wanting to go out or leave the movie. She was well-behaved and it was another level unlocked! Thank you Mamaja ⋆˚✿˖°</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/how-wishs-asha-reflects-every-single-disney-heroine/one-day-shell-know-how-far-shell-go-1700712613.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="438" src="https://www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/how-wishs-asha-reflects-every-single-disney-heroine/one-day-shell-know-how-far-shell-go-1700712613.webp" width="780" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">2. Most of the time, <b>I had to remind Sofi </b>that she needed to play by herself because I had urgent work to catch up on. So, I know she is bored most of the time but it was just bad timing - hopefully next week I'll be free if I can finish up everything early and wrap it all up. Have you noticed how much a toddler can eat during a school holiday?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here are some of the foods that she prepared for me while I was working (<span style="text-align: left;">Note: She said it is a burger, then a juice and a cupcake)</span>:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IfnJjXsUMbzXe1Xj_SJkh_8en8LfjBlxe2c9HrReLBfryscpjDKWAr5DEHFSjs4cgfEOfiq0tEzg4UooEmXli52uAWd6dnyZP_aYgjHLMGJ7JVbzRJL1sC3AcucTM3wUcMqA1TIVs9r1qhMARuFfe1Uh_vVERy1K0kTqSD9v3BJlXNr3FpFpiOmf4Q/s1200/pincess2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IfnJjXsUMbzXe1Xj_SJkh_8en8LfjBlxe2c9HrReLBfryscpjDKWAr5DEHFSjs4cgfEOfiq0tEzg4UooEmXli52uAWd6dnyZP_aYgjHLMGJ7JVbzRJL1sC3AcucTM3wUcMqA1TIVs9r1qhMARuFfe1Uh_vVERy1K0kTqSD9v3BJlXNr3FpFpiOmf4Q/s16000/pincess2.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>3. The Ghibli week. </u> </b><span style="text-align: left;">𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Sempena musim Ghibli, </i>I wanted to watch Ponyo with Sofi.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My sister and I grew up with Totoro and Kiki, they were the essence of our early imagination (because we passed our toddler years in Japan and it was huge back then). I wanted something that resembled that early childhood thing with Sofi so we could have a good memory together. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So we finally watched <b>Ponyo</b> together, it was great. Why I have not watched it before, I don't know. It was visually stunning, the story was engaging, and suitable to watch with a younger audience. I loooved it, and highly recommended it. Compared to princess stories, I liked this one much better. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We also watched <b>Arriety</b> together and she continued with The <b>Cat Returns</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We also watched <b>Earwig and the Witch </b>the night we slept over at Aja's house - but didn't finish it because I was too sleepy to stay up (end up waking up at 4 am as usual and scrolling over the IG the whole early morning).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Other than the <b>'10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki' documentary</b> on NHK, I also found another documentary from 2013 - after his 2nd retirement announcement (found someone shared it on Youtube, maybe this will be taken off YouTube later so you should definitely watch it while it lasts):</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="338" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9FhpO2gzfNo" width="441" youtube-src-id="9FhpO2gzfNo"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I love how unapologetic he is, being a grumpy old man. Radiating an 'introverted aura', a pure genius at his work, and stubborn as hell. Like all geniuses in their department, he only focuses on his art to survive, so to learn that he was an absent parent while Goro was growing up, was not shocking (I mean, Steve Job was one, I'm sure Haruki Murakami and Paolo Coelho are also the same if they had children). It seems like an innocent curse in exchange for their magic, huh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">He is a warm person in heart but a bit too serious about life, and that is relatable. I think January babies are just bound to have serious personalities. We can't help it, we are born to be a bit too serious and honestly, I don't think we are fun to be with, and we don't care about having 'fun' or being happy, we care about having a fulfilling life though T^T</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xjCzIMLlaTxmVvXpZ0ZEwTQn2f3Ap2TTr30FPk4j_WL0iGFhXOsAp6pEaawq6fRQ-qibIEmSnKiRe_wr4lLnadARyieH5-Lv9_6_yvs2E9D1-QZSs74yv_zA5rlT2Y_JIw5hLyCBSFWhbVhwicEJy-98cYbYsM2AkmjwYOphCd67P4u8U2-syEHWYA/s1219/miyazaki.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xjCzIMLlaTxmVvXpZ0ZEwTQn2f3Ap2TTr30FPk4j_WL0iGFhXOsAp6pEaawq6fRQ-qibIEmSnKiRe_wr4lLnadARyieH5-Lv9_6_yvs2E9D1-QZSs74yv_zA5rlT2Y_JIw5hLyCBSFWhbVhwicEJy-98cYbYsM2AkmjwYOphCd67P4u8U2-syEHWYA/s16000/miyazaki.png" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>4. Sofi's First Outing with Mamaja</u></b>:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another level is unlocked!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Aja asked whether she wanted to go 'jalan2' with her and by the next day she agreed. I was surprised as well because she NEVER ever wanted to be away from me/Af. I told her that I'd be working the whole day, and if she wanted, she could go have fun with Mamaja instead.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I don't know what made her agree, but she was so excited. She mentioned that she is a 'big girl already' and she is 'not scared' T^T So then we went back, showered her, and got her ready for the outing. They went out for several hours, had lunch, and played at the play park for 3 hours (not sure where Mamaja said it was a secret - but somewhere in IKEA Cheras). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I think she had so much fun, she is still catching up with her speech delay, so she can't really tell her story that much to me. When asked, she only said, "<i>I play, I jump so much, I play with friends in a house, I got slime</i>".</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Well, I'm so excited for her too. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Oh yes, somehow on Friday we ate out at <b>After Seven</b> in Tamarind Square. Even though every food here is dairy-packed, and I was pretty sure I would face the consequences the coming week, I just put my social-food hat on and played my part (because the food was good and I love cheese).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did eat my lactase pill, and the bloatedness was mild later that day. But several days afterward, I felt bad and couldn't really eat well. Let's see if pimples will come out by my birthday week (for that, I don't blame anyone but me). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxc4lipbFjAN3txUkyxDYE8JVbnTnCOyWQNPcaAtYJjEDVnJf2cKxD8SdIoFxO48x4_eqddnzXfYKsJdHsjizphBKMsM1e19DWZ0cejcSm-Ek0pa7S3E3B-hYvp-yQVhsBuTbUywmjeucTi-lHYYDbikpcfph0N7e2HITLmMRnNRzoe-SGxt1SO41OA/s1200/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxc4lipbFjAN3txUkyxDYE8JVbnTnCOyWQNPcaAtYJjEDVnJf2cKxD8SdIoFxO48x4_eqddnzXfYKsJdHsjizphBKMsM1e19DWZ0cejcSm-Ek0pa7S3E3B-hYvp-yQVhsBuTbUywmjeucTi-lHYYDbikpcfph0N7e2HITLmMRnNRzoe-SGxt1SO41OA/s16000/blog2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">That's the end of the first school holiday week .𖥔 ݁ ˖</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-31917053703970795962023-12-20T08:00:00.007+08:002023-12-21T04:48:01.643+08:00Books - Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles by Clamp .𖥔 ݁ ˖<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This year I finished reading all<b> Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles </b>manga. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This Japanese manga series was written by the female manga artist group called Clamp in the early 2000s. There are 28 volumes in the original edition, I read the compilation version so there were 10 Omnibus version books in total. It takes place in the same fictional universe created by Clamp ie; Cardcaptor Sakura, xxxHolics, Chobits, Clover, Clamp School Detectives, Angelic Layer, and many more. So if you are familiar with Clamp's works over the years, this would be an amazing universe to be in because you can see all these beloved characters from different comics in this one series. <span style="text-align: left;">Tsubasa was conceived when these four Clamp artists wanted to create a manga series that connected all their previous works and decided to take the main character from Cardcaptor Sakura to lead the story.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">When I was in school, I was obsessed with Cardcaptor Sakura. Then in the uni, I continued with Chobits and Clover, and I read some of xxxHolic and the Tsubasa series but didn't finish it. This year, I found that I could borrow the series from Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur so I decided to end my 2023 book goal by finishing up the manga from my old favorite series.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note: Tsubasa has taken a much more serious tone than Cardcaptor Sakura. So please don't expect to read a fun heart-warming comic like CCS because this one is pretty serious. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzdSitvYpCz5RY2ll5zg0lzIs6ZYpWOeigmryj7jUG_leYHq8dQD-VZkbIX5oGKWjlCOEV5bZ3bxUi3QzXXijAHJhAVy3ZLNPbs437trWyN49tKls_GhF2pB59NbZEzsCpHD27_I8PzYh29PfWQ70ggxAI4-YTcEj7YTDxEpSPJ7pp6ok1hyphenhyphen9f72x4Q/s1200/tsubasa1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzdSitvYpCz5RY2ll5zg0lzIs6ZYpWOeigmryj7jUG_leYHq8dQD-VZkbIX5oGKWjlCOEV5bZ3bxUi3QzXXijAHJhAVy3ZLNPbs437trWyN49tKls_GhF2pB59NbZEzsCpHD27_I8PzYh29PfWQ70ggxAI4-YTcEj7YTDxEpSPJ7pp6ok1hyphenhyphen9f72x4Q/s16000/tsubasa1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Plot:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It follows Sakura, the princess of the Kingdom of Clow. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">She loses all her memories and they are scattered all through multiple universes. She has to collect all her memories again to survive, with help from Syaoran, her childhood friend, a young archeologist working at a ruin in the kingdom. As she is dying, Syaoran asks for help from the dimensional witch, Yuko (from xxxHolic) to help him save Sakura's life. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yuko is also visited by two others with their own wish: Kurogane, a ninja banished from his world, and Fai Flowright, a magician who wishes to run from his world. So to grant their wishes for the ability to travel across multiple universes, each needs to pay for the price. Kurogane offers his sword, Fai offers the tattoo that holds his magical power, and Syaoran, not having anything to offer to the witch, has to exchange all of Sakura's memories that involve him. So when he gets the first memory and passes it to Sakura, she wakes up and she doesn't know who he is. Even though they've been secretly in love with each other all their lives. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So the four of them travel across multiple universes in search of the lost memories. There were many universes throughout the series, it made me feel like reading a sci-fi, horror, or fantasy, back in historic-Japan, or a futuristic one, a mystery detective or a vampiric world, all according to where they landed in finding Sakura's memory. Oh yes, these memories are in the form of magical feathers that hold several supernatural powers according to where they are landed. It's really hard to explain in detail. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Slowly throughout their adventure, they grow closer and attached to one another.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then the plot thickens and it gets really hard to explain because it involves cloning and soul separation from the body, back to the future, then changing the future, hiding in the dream world, battling in space and time, and getting stuck in the same cycle. As I said, it is really complicated :F It has a lot of action (perhaps not even my genre, but it was intriguing).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgkHlouzPe2X54ESL35mGvYLoErhq36NoW6ZptqzxsZQoIBEAxWhsSTVnLO8ICmz2bj4fPE9loGXDSH6v4Hk4px2JAb6wyTxfKI6iaVuajynRk4GcOso1dFCQ0ydg_UZLGOHDIu8vYksn4gMAfol2AxyZbUFk66ycCtZ0MLRGdha3B3MKJa3y7sJPGQ/s1200/tsubasa3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgkHlouzPe2X54ESL35mGvYLoErhq36NoW6ZptqzxsZQoIBEAxWhsSTVnLO8ICmz2bj4fPE9loGXDSH6v4Hk4px2JAb6wyTxfKI6iaVuajynRk4GcOso1dFCQ0ydg_UZLGOHDIu8vYksn4gMAfol2AxyZbUFk66ycCtZ0MLRGdha3B3MKJa3y7sJPGQ/s16000/tsubasa3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But I'm so amazed. This was a series on multi-verse, created by a group of female Japanese mangaka in the early 2000s compiling all their characters from different mangas in one series, and it is heavy with complicated plot. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I cried reading some of it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li>The love story. I mean, being in love with someone who forgets who you are and sacrificing his own life to save her but not being able to tell her anything. Tsk. Then slowly falling in love again with the same person, but then the person you fall in love with is not the real person? </li><li>The bonding. Then the four of them become like a real-tight family, a bunch of people that didn't even match characteristically but formed a bond that can't be broken. I was so touched by some of the sacrifices that they had to make for one another. I think the main theme of this whole series is 'sacrifice'<i> sebab</i> each of them sacrifices themselves for the other then everyone <i>terhutang hidup</i> with one another (like a huge sacrifice).</li><li>"Nothing in this world is a coincidence. Everything is <i>hitsuzen."</i></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I cried, weyh. Power power. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBbKmEcTxVpcEttDp52OrnEebhT2Mb78DwJmU4ZNWpBi_5YnZ6odgXdypsYwr6W-PYnPKRpogBV9RK4mIuCoDNiZq71d5P4StcKTxFIuo-5i-iKlVGZUahlJLh-WdF_ZeWJSrJdN5-vn7YeI2G5IGuxJUOyapSaRKRJBB13H-fPYDyt4cFtEA_Imoag/s1200/tsubasa2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBbKmEcTxVpcEttDp52OrnEebhT2Mb78DwJmU4ZNWpBi_5YnZ6odgXdypsYwr6W-PYnPKRpogBV9RK4mIuCoDNiZq71d5P4StcKTxFIuo-5i-iKlVGZUahlJLh-WdF_ZeWJSrJdN5-vn7YeI2G5IGuxJUOyapSaRKRJBB13H-fPYDyt4cFtEA_Imoag/s16000/tsubasa2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">I don't think I've ever cried over manga. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But this was impressive and the timing is good. I'm glad I read this in my 30s, imagine if I read this in my teens, I don't think I can appreciate the seriousness. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Kudos to Clamp, for making me cry, for reusing my favorite characters in an alternate universe, and for giving me a chance to see them grow up and have adventures together (even though it was a painful one), but my childhood memories were revisited and completed nicely. I can close the chapter now with a smile.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> 5 stars .𖥔 ݁ ˖</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note: I donated the Tsubasa manga that I have to the library, plus the Vol. 6 & 8 Omnibus versions are not available there. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Cover appreciation:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqeUO-UxQho6ggvbUNegNEykCtMKSA-AlGT3p-0sttG2YROkdgCttBXiIleIPKHDdu2qdUoEbn60ZLciFWjnSyiC_yTkjOpyKACjfD52pIJENnReSn8cGWDE8WLmMz69jzDB4giMH_hvN50I_fBrPIv_t38Mc2Fu9rQFpIM3hx82Ig5hxWkdD6Syyvw/s1715/tsubasa-all.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1715" data-original-width="1400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqeUO-UxQho6ggvbUNegNEykCtMKSA-AlGT3p-0sttG2YROkdgCttBXiIleIPKHDdu2qdUoEbn60ZLciFWjnSyiC_yTkjOpyKACjfD52pIJENnReSn8cGWDE8WLmMz69jzDB4giMH_hvN50I_fBrPIv_t38Mc2Fu9rQFpIM3hx82Ig5hxWkdD6Syyvw/s16000/tsubasa-all.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-41519016819473813852023-12-17T20:00:00.002+08:002023-12-22T11:38:45.450+08:00Little Thing 276 : Good Bye Library, A Hair-Cut, Meeting Mahito & A Transition ʚïɞ <p><b><u>Saying Goodbye to the Library for Now:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I returned all the books I borrowed from the library before the school holiday started (but I accidentally borrowed one more when I went there - I will extend the time for this book and return it next year). Thanks to Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur for existing ✿</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE-N4ip3uBD3KVNQlGx5hPqvUEYIjam8gMKYSZW_bU6xEKzdH_ukMSu7LA5JnqzmYtfDU2YmQN-Rs6ru6ji04xEBBxvlu588Qzxm90frIm9gWvcfKQrT2wlDqDgtyQBZpQVT6Sb42G1oSSu0A0Dy1dCEBnqlTxZSJ3rmDPxZic0kJNPyv3fNnV8lW9A/s1200/blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE-N4ip3uBD3KVNQlGx5hPqvUEYIjam8gMKYSZW_bU6xEKzdH_ukMSu7LA5JnqzmYtfDU2YmQN-Rs6ru6ji04xEBBxvlu588Qzxm90frIm9gWvcfKQrT2wlDqDgtyQBZpQVT6Sb42G1oSSu0A0Dy1dCEBnqlTxZSJ3rmDPxZic0kJNPyv3fNnV8lW9A/s16000/blog.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Cut My Hair & Watched 'The Boy & The Heron':</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">1. I roughly planned to cut my hair earlier, then suddenly on Friday, I was near my usual saloon after meeting a client. So I decided there and then to cut my hair - at first I thought I just wanted a short shoulder-length cut, but then I decided to do a boy cut. It wasn't even a pixie cut and it is unflattering. Now I look definitely like a teenage boy in the '90s again. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Just needed to do something with my hair fall issue and perhaps want the new year to start fresh. Plus, I feel a bit off with my feminine side lately because this year has been super tough and challenging. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">2. Then I went to dPulze to watch <b>The Boy & The Heron</b> - the latest Miyazaki film (he said it is his last, but he announced his retirement 3 times already). I planned to watch it the day before, but apparently, it is only shown at certain TGV. So the reachable ones in my area were dPulze & Mines.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was an amazing but weird story, nothing like I've ever seen before. It was strange and metaphorical, something I needed to sit and think through. But on the first watch, you can know that it lingers on the topic of <b>grieving, saying goodbye, and moving on. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It tells a story about a young boy who enters a magical world to save his aunt. In the magical dream-like world, he undergoes challenges and psychological transformation, like Alice in Wonderland but a Ghibli version. Maybe I can revisit this again, the symbolism is worth exploring and perhaps make a post on this one day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/12/12/the-dream-logic-of-the-boy-and-the-heron-explained/?sh=6d1c6dde3ea1"><i>This is the best writing to explain the movie.</i></a> ⤶</li><li><a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/program/video/10yearshayaomiyazaki/?type=tvEpisode&" style="font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline;">You can watch '10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki' here by NHK</a> ⤶</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjZkNThjNTMtOGU0Ni00ZDliLThmNGUtZmMxNWQ3YzAxZTQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="547" height="800" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjZkNThjNTMtOGU0Ni00ZDliLThmNGUtZmMxNWQ3YzAxZTQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="547" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Transition</u></b> ʚïɞ</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Several huge things happened to me this week, but it is still ongoing and I'm still processing it, so I don't feel like I should share them here. But this has been a really overwhelming week to end 2023. At this point, I can't eat and I'm trying to figure out how to actually face it with the calmness and wisdom of an adult.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I realized that problem on top of more problems came upon me like stacked stones. A lot of times, I'm so scared of these chaotic changes that I have to go through because I really don't want any dramas in my life but they keep on inviting themselves in. I have no other choice but to face them and force myself to level up. But at the same time, I'm so angry about this chaos perhaps because I have not built any resilience towards it yet - or have not learned the wisdom that they would bring, yet. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, one way or another, I had to learn how to navigate this. I told myself that it's okay to feel scared, or to feel angry or overwhelmed because that's what humans do. But I'm not giving up, <i>tp it feels like a bit of a nuisance lah because </i>2023 has been so challenging. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ma always asks me whether I'm okay, and what is okay even means? It's the rollercoaster ride of the world, the never-ending tough level on Super Mario and I'm bitter because I have not reached the winning flag yet (and it has been so long and I'm exhausted).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I had to ask for help a lot these past few years and I also don't like to ask for help, so this is another challenge for me to get through because every time I had to ask for help, I'd be angry at myself and I'd be bitter. Ugh, the cycle. I think I'm in the transitioning phase, like a chrysalis waiting for the time to be reborn as an adult. But to be reborn, I would need to leave the caterpillar phase and I won't be the same person anymore. Maybe that's what I'm scared about because I can feel my shell harden, and my perspective changes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">No one likes changes, or most people, well I don't. But life keeps on telling me to grow up perhaps because it is time to level up and learn a new wisdom. Well, I am here to tell you that I'm okay, but life isn't as perfect as it seems to be on social media, and that is also okay. I'm struggling a lot, but it is a manageable struggle :F </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I drew this sometime back in the early 2023. The purple moth represents a metamorphosis or a transition, a new beginning. It's a symbol of change, transformation, and growth. But now it is already the end of 2023, and I don't feel transformed yet. I guess, because all through 2023, my main question to myself is<b> 'What do I want' </b>and honestly, I can't answer that. So I've been playing with the question all through the year, toying with the answer, hiding behind the obvious, and so scared of making any changes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Like I said, I don't like changes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then without changes, how would I grow?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUEnlPs_Aukeu2G-1jAxjdqPloT1NGLVJsLFwwASuPZxnTwzTxBY0eXh2W0-z8E4yrbAzsHrabZnztSSaQFe_r1K0IqrOIpYip046r4Z2i7YyMG7CimEQBkBfpV3HWlf_Z5fmMTNgUVLNDJ-PmEL-GWS2XUx8i-3mbgLOopIwQXikT3Gw7WT2mx71Jg/s800/Reborn_azreenchan2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUEnlPs_Aukeu2G-1jAxjdqPloT1NGLVJsLFwwASuPZxnTwzTxBY0eXh2W0-z8E4yrbAzsHrabZnztSSaQFe_r1K0IqrOIpYip046r4Z2i7YyMG7CimEQBkBfpV3HWlf_Z5fmMTNgUVLNDJ-PmEL-GWS2XUx8i-3mbgLOopIwQXikT3Gw7WT2mx71Jg/s16000/Reborn_azreenchan2.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Someone said that expression is the opposite of depression. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So as long as I can express it in my writing, I think I'll be okay. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sekian, thank you for coming to my TEDtalk ʚïɞ ⋆ ˚ ✿ ˖ ° </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;">“In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. I realised, through it all, that… In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger — something better, pushing right back.” - Albert Camus</blockquote>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-87079263441889296562023-12-12T08:00:00.001+08:002023-12-24T08:36:32.085+08:00Little Stories 268 : Finally Visited the IPC Shopping Mall <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Several weeks ago, I went to KL and saw someone using the IPC shopping mall tote bag (that I illustrated in 2021 but never really saw up close because you can only redeem it at IPC mall as a gift if you shop there). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I posted the picture of me with the man holding the tote bag in the background, he did not notice that I actually wanted the picture of that moment. After posting it on my IG story, Vickie, the person who was in charge of the project contacted me again and asked whether I wanted the tote bag because she had 1-2 pieces left at the office. Of course, I wanted it. Then she invited me to meet last weekend. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And so, we set the day to visit the mall to hunt for all the illustrations that I did.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">First, we met Jatte, the 7.5 m tall giant inflatable Dala horse that they have installed for their 20th anniversary: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaRTlOChXQmeaXnyrNpFI__0yFeiDuRjPwkq3shwizUsAfB2s00H121abwhrhMpLc45HG_yl4zn8ogw3Scnpv_d3X7WoQmXKM0f9TwhJ1tR4jBCQYEMrwlo3cMacHqK_pvNWhd5djVsx1nwS9FV7JBChqS0aO-RcxYu7pTR9sndm2WolL2gXIy0v7lA/s1200/blog1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaRTlOChXQmeaXnyrNpFI__0yFeiDuRjPwkq3shwizUsAfB2s00H121abwhrhMpLc45HG_yl4zn8ogw3Scnpv_d3X7WoQmXKM0f9TwhJ1tR4jBCQYEMrwlo3cMacHqK_pvNWhd5djVsx1nwS9FV7JBChqS0aO-RcxYu7pTR9sndm2WolL2gXIy0v7lA/s16000/blog1.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p>I saw the giant umbrella at the customer service counter and Vickie said I could bring one home :<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnfmol6wKRbOj_1o4BMyvnsQFGTFcHQlgx2ui-u-0Y_Yna6uMgsewY0vYxd-_frX6mNk6m32_ssmdcZcxtQQS8FKC9_nq_B7ICwwrNg_Xl_B6JfSFwsfFuAvvh9MYlQuqgF3bkTEJxkML7uaeLWQ9E1FgKfVLjLwsqMY3qy17v95eoxBt_3OgnQfTtg/s1538/blog2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnfmol6wKRbOj_1o4BMyvnsQFGTFcHQlgx2ui-u-0Y_Yna6uMgsewY0vYxd-_frX6mNk6m32_ssmdcZcxtQQS8FKC9_nq_B7ICwwrNg_Xl_B6JfSFwsfFuAvvh9MYlQuqgF3bkTEJxkML7uaeLWQ9E1FgKfVLjLwsqMY3qy17v95eoxBt_3OgnQfTtg/s16000/blog2.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Then we saw some more horses at the 20versary Ferris Wheel:<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN77WWp7lCH4y3UHlB3SZf22HuvLJHg_h8uFYLdyKNbUtUcqvzj-RIIxurClswCPUXo7IeNG_E86KV86WZnlA6O2L-V8EcYNsMAmjWRDPbD4Sgkjn028_4HnmCFTmO5ovzbIKx7gPLQkyufQvc2IYGnQed2o2pmSOm8wFdmgXU8EwRxutZOzZZenrSeg/s1538/blog3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN77WWp7lCH4y3UHlB3SZf22HuvLJHg_h8uFYLdyKNbUtUcqvzj-RIIxurClswCPUXo7IeNG_E86KV86WZnlA6O2L-V8EcYNsMAmjWRDPbD4Sgkjn028_4HnmCFTmO5ovzbIKx7gPLQkyufQvc2IYGnQed2o2pmSOm8wFdmgXU8EwRxutZOzZZenrSeg/s16000/blog3.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Here is more stuff that they made last year for the Christmas season, these are just the remaining that she got for me, some wrapping papers, a tote bag, and a badge:<div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv31dZK7t7VIO5ebNVYpWSDBARxwRy9nuVYWhrrT7DetY-9YNZPs2ne562EDe-0ibOQTQlQDOkokUlifaE7Ck4AQkb9Ac0N_sQjNYowytQ43JRqvkqTBGexnGWTgkJIJGPAXnTp-5z2jpVfh51urHSTywg35_IlyyKHfjjo3S60jFRQ2DI4NyNZ2HkgQ/s1538/blog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv31dZK7t7VIO5ebNVYpWSDBARxwRy9nuVYWhrrT7DetY-9YNZPs2ne562EDe-0ibOQTQlQDOkokUlifaE7Ck4AQkb9Ac0N_sQjNYowytQ43JRqvkqTBGexnGWTgkJIJGPAXnTp-5z2jpVfh51urHSTywg35_IlyyKHfjjo3S60jFRQ2DI4NyNZ2HkgQ/s16000/blog4.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> <p></p><p>They are planning on making more stuff like socks and round hats next. </p><p>I would definitely come to get some socks for sure. </p><p>Soo happy ❤︎₊ ⊹</p><p><br /></p></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-78385290222028201642023-12-10T21:22:00.001+08:002023-12-12T07:28:57.883+08:00Little Stories 267 : A Short Walk, KLABF 2023 and Nice Coincidence<p><b><u>Another Short Walk in the Library:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I needed a short visit to the library because it is near the end of the year and I still have 7 more books to reach my 100 books (unofficial goal). I decided to read the <b>Clamp's Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles manga</b> (the Omnibus version) because I've read too much fiction and non-fiction this year, so I needed something lighter to end the year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Manga counts because some manga is heavy with content, depth, and drama. The ones that I'm reading - each book is about 600 pages long because it combines 3 books. To summarize, it is about a mission to search for missing memories flown over to different inter-dimensional worlds, written and drawn by a group of woman mangaka (called Clamp) in early 2000. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wanted to borrow the whole manga but number 5 & 8 was missing from the shelves since I first found them at the library. So I decided to ask from the counter and the man taught me how to check the book lists from the system. Apparently, numbers 5 & 8 are not listed because they don't have them. Really inconvenient. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have some of the individual manga that I kept for years, I think I will try to donate them to the library after I finish reading them. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>KL Art Book Fest:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I got another invite from <b>Mossery. </b>This time to attend the <b>Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fest 2023</b> at Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Friday. The event started on Friday and it continues throughout the weekend, so they asked me to give a shoutout about the event on IG & FB. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKo8sJBqlZCWQKsAJiKI8LaumJdyk21hzimZsmh6JKIViOgQA2CPmFg1dmDsGMs50vQRSvv32nXgEO0CeRx8ngEAULjJBD9DBU6jSph6cMtoWR-QxQmLeElrojxN01bXqyU4tj3rXkpY_yM009KNMUqfqHwRAJF38O4gbmMMuz7cY4eDttaHum1jvAw/s1200/dec2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKo8sJBqlZCWQKsAJiKI8LaumJdyk21hzimZsmh6JKIViOgQA2CPmFg1dmDsGMs50vQRSvv32nXgEO0CeRx8ngEAULjJBD9DBU6jSph6cMtoWR-QxQmLeElrojxN01bXqyU4tj3rXkpY_yM009KNMUqfqHwRAJF38O4gbmMMuz7cY4eDttaHum1jvAw/s16000/dec2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">That Friday, I got ready early. I went out right after I submitted my work draft. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Love how the artwork on this door slowly reaches the top, they are from Sofi during her daycare:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxndw4x9I0a_1ycB5HNKbwvUYitTC3_KOXFnDs7nB79lRZuTpx3YFqtxK1aXwlpCf1ZTXZ6A-uyQpiQP9AB1mJjMKug56H9bsAalg8v4PPCHClkbyBdBa6YtUWgWVP8wys_LXB-n_w0zoYpyfQu-zYTHwC8ma_C5MNkKW36wMEgYS31QEvThVArNzWw/s1200/dec1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxndw4x9I0a_1ycB5HNKbwvUYitTC3_KOXFnDs7nB79lRZuTpx3YFqtxK1aXwlpCf1ZTXZ6A-uyQpiQP9AB1mJjMKug56H9bsAalg8v4PPCHClkbyBdBa6YtUWgWVP8wys_LXB-n_w0zoYpyfQu-zYTHwC8ma_C5MNkKW36wMEgYS31QEvThVArNzWw/s16000/dec1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wasn't sure about how to reach there, so I used Moovit (despite having to change from MRT > LRT > Monorail, I arrived there just fine in less than 40 mins). Thank you to Af for explaining the route beforehand, because I got overwhelmed with names of places that I'm not familiar with. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But it was quite straightforward lah.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I arrived, and I waited until the event started because I was early. Then I went to the Mossery booth to inform them (because I was a guest, I got a free tote bag that I could claim at their booth. I also got a free ticket to enter the event). Then I browsed through all the booths and did my work :F</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was quite inspiring to see. I love the feel of various paper types and printing, I touched everything I could T^T I talked when I could socialize, and then eventually I slowly disappeared into the abyss. I felt overwhelmed after a few interactions. Hah hah hah. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlEUZXgRsmQbZNtEa1a1nmMWyY9el6KaAVNxkgGPmL4Gd0eskNkb2G-qcsxHp7SKiRgbQJHz2T94Ya2jHuN1lQCScVIfNeH70i3nadIS_8bJXtcMUTfyFX0vok1kE-FbKrNv894BqJIiNCXky0tIIbYHnaijy7kSLfuTHV0dfbM8KUPxy7J0ywrhNXA/s1200/dec3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlEUZXgRsmQbZNtEa1a1nmMWyY9el6KaAVNxkgGPmL4Gd0eskNkb2G-qcsxHp7SKiRgbQJHz2T94Ya2jHuN1lQCScVIfNeH70i3nadIS_8bJXtcMUTfyFX0vok1kE-FbKrNv894BqJIiNCXky0tIIbYHnaijy7kSLfuTHV0dfbM8KUPxy7J0ywrhNXA/s16000/dec3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6cp1bfSpPK3RJY_LX4kzN3uyQPV5kMrmH0KFKeATPDs23MOs-zoi71LBhZhN1vqKoRlnh2VLtAoV7lsIrQO6Qm3Vlok3GkcK0kj7BHrzk_yh4EfbdkMFsJjcy3IHC03SeXghGgcy-90fCq9AiTeJVMjNOSYWMUVnHrXmE0lJPmG4JrA-EXteSU5s0w/s1200/dec5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6cp1bfSpPK3RJY_LX4kzN3uyQPV5kMrmH0KFKeATPDs23MOs-zoi71LBhZhN1vqKoRlnh2VLtAoV7lsIrQO6Qm3Vlok3GkcK0kj7BHrzk_yh4EfbdkMFsJjcy3IHC03SeXghGgcy-90fCq9AiTeJVMjNOSYWMUVnHrXmE0lJPmG4JrA-EXteSU5s0w/s16000/dec5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoWiDz8BYaOdcInWiJgcuNfyjpyjQpsHF30OkkL3upNDLJaBPgOQEhfUj_Cn2AUHYcBx48HQh7kNj5jIY6i9aBmMfDkZohvCBcheb_MVmRkj8mJA-U429rwg-IZ4KwZA-2a56weWxJVt8uS1vwTvv6hL0BRif8CJ0Wee8Hqo4SQEtZPcGEBqrJItZQw/s1200/dec6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoWiDz8BYaOdcInWiJgcuNfyjpyjQpsHF30OkkL3upNDLJaBPgOQEhfUj_Cn2AUHYcBx48HQh7kNj5jIY6i9aBmMfDkZohvCBcheb_MVmRkj8mJA-U429rwg-IZ4KwZA-2a56weWxJVt8uS1vwTvv6hL0BRif8CJ0Wee8Hqo4SQEtZPcGEBqrJItZQw/s16000/dec6.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFT_hfp2QJhnpBBXSYEFn177dqDhc_KQOzT569IVfJRMhLMLaSuOc_xyVGM2LyFJOCQyvVsYZi1qsvm6VVK-OL2AEnIDGVhcVOkgZtJQx0vlMxwrDLADr5a_anCXbEZ9DEMYAzdyTPynSLFfvmDiUcyTumNRVsfjfnxDq91Ec81cTGhRMbzWAhEzIUw/s1200/dec7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFT_hfp2QJhnpBBXSYEFn177dqDhc_KQOzT569IVfJRMhLMLaSuOc_xyVGM2LyFJOCQyvVsYZi1qsvm6VVK-OL2AEnIDGVhcVOkgZtJQx0vlMxwrDLADr5a_anCXbEZ9DEMYAzdyTPynSLFfvmDiUcyTumNRVsfjfnxDq91Ec81cTGhRMbzWAhEzIUw/s16000/dec7.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here is the reels on the IG :</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lk25XrPgt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lk25XrPgt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"><div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lk25XrPgt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by azreenchan (@azreenchan)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Bought a year-end present for myself:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here are my new socks in olive green and the Susuwatari's version from Ghibli (found them at Uniqlo and just had to buy them). The funny thing is, I wore it on Sunday and met my sister unplanned, and then she noticed that we both wore the same Susuwatari socks together. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">What are the odds :D</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQA09fCwR1d-sPs0VX2SCmcRqJWyUJdUcocHHXgL6u_goj-O_LHnjCBfd-XwYChksj2Cv-wHkyrzqGXiYZAB6d2FU4DQWpjbrVrogQ6I0qPi6vlsjyPdzjSbkU5zADZjK2XTMiNmStn7YgjgN1Dunij-9XIJg26A7fZ4rLMLgmYPo2-7Ob_AusFMS0JA/s1500/5AD01CBD-F42C-4305-9C55-B6342E7AC8F2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQA09fCwR1d-sPs0VX2SCmcRqJWyUJdUcocHHXgL6u_goj-O_LHnjCBfd-XwYChksj2Cv-wHkyrzqGXiYZAB6d2FU4DQWpjbrVrogQ6I0qPi6vlsjyPdzjSbkU5zADZjK2XTMiNmStn7YgjgN1Dunij-9XIJg26A7fZ4rLMLgmYPo2-7Ob_AusFMS0JA/s16000/5AD01CBD-F42C-4305-9C55-B6342E7AC8F2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-52529571728921260142023-12-03T14:03:00.014+08:002023-12-03T14:43:03.881+08:00Little Thing 275 : About Writing, Sofi's Graduation, & Random Stuffs<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>About writing the 8 posts:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have achieved my goal of writing 8 posts every month for a year, even when I didn't feel motivated to do so. Despite struggling with my thoughts and not always writing what I intended to, I pushed them through. But I'm not doing it again next year. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'll write, but I'll write more in my book. I'll write, but not the 8 posts every month. I'll write here, but only if I feel like sharing something honest and perhaps the things that I can nerd up about, because who would listen to a woman's rant on topics that they are passionate about? About things that matter to her, or about random thoughts that didn't matter to anyone, about life, about confusion, about questions, about love, about death, about curiosity, about mundane things in our day-to-day life? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Everything feels so frivolous. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Sofi's Graduation & Sending Stuffs to Stickerrific :</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went to Sofi's first 'graduation' day at the Garden on Saturday. The theme was Disney's magical world, so Sofi had to wear Pinocchio's & Woody's outfits for her group dance performance. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a really flawed day with overwhelmed toddlers and chaotic preschoolers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Every time the 3-year-old group came down on the stage, the music was blasted loud and these toddlers were crying all together in their group - and seeing these toddlers crying, I would automatically cry too because they were so cute and so anxious on the stage (I'm hormonal and I'm sensitive). They cried, I cried. It was a disaster. I had a migraine afterward.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Sofi was in her 4-year-old class, so she wasn't as anxious as the little ones, and she did well (no crying). She performed dances for "Hey Diddle Dee Dee", "You Got a Friend in You", & "Colour of the Wind". It was so precious.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I was 4, I remember Aja and I had to perform as well. We were in Tadika Ho, the Chinese kindergarden in Serdang next to my high school. We both wore our kimono with double ponytail hair and straight fringe. Aja played her keyboard and sang on stage while I just sat next to her - mostly confused. Oh yes, during that time we couldn't even speak in Malay or English, we only spoke in full Japanese.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also restocked some of my zines and December gift box at Stickerrific afterward:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA9mzUygxpNeaNyGqn5y64VAsL9QFQTOFIYLhvkuE50DRJZu_HBjMxWWeWg9SXeYIRfMNgFQBTNwYxgVmv8xVM0xC5U2w7Ww0AypYRQqOPm31ueL2NpruuzfS1lrPP-0L41XbNhmQpUBHQgScjh4Pdw_omqLvcNj0rZWNzblZLbxue6lSzmcoPNMZiA/s1200/blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA9mzUygxpNeaNyGqn5y64VAsL9QFQTOFIYLhvkuE50DRJZu_HBjMxWWeWg9SXeYIRfMNgFQBTNwYxgVmv8xVM0xC5U2w7Ww0AypYRQqOPm31ueL2NpruuzfS1lrPP-0L41XbNhmQpUBHQgScjh4Pdw_omqLvcNj0rZWNzblZLbxue6lSzmcoPNMZiA/s16000/blog.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's my bb :</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_q6x5pfaO2Rgz-P7GsdwLwEL7PNJjWQw9rhZbKL0vT3JBjhcalvWM_KL2b67BNy5DGn2Oe2OYAnN4MGdVbNuyTE37-UauJQReJWGIedIKQ1gOKDh6GcluIvbEOiBcjKGpX2KQHqfWyeRHkdG-xDLm0G9bXB9sszBOg4zonnDdjXSnsvgag5l1ZmqZQ/s1200/blog2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_q6x5pfaO2Rgz-P7GsdwLwEL7PNJjWQw9rhZbKL0vT3JBjhcalvWM_KL2b67BNy5DGn2Oe2OYAnN4MGdVbNuyTE37-UauJQReJWGIedIKQ1gOKDh6GcluIvbEOiBcjKGpX2KQHqfWyeRHkdG-xDLm0G9bXB9sszBOg4zonnDdjXSnsvgag5l1ZmqZQ/s16000/blog2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Summary of The Little Prince: </u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="text-align: left;">This is a summary taken from Emily Esfahani's book The Power of Meaning:</p><div></div><blockquote><div>The prince lives on a tiny planet where he spends his time tending the plants and flowers in his garden. "It's very tedious work," he says, "but very easy." One day, he notices a rose that is growing on its surface--a flower unlike any he's seen on his planet before. The prince falls in love with the mysterious rose, whom he devotedly waters and shields from the wind. But she is a vain and needy flower, and the prince eventually grows weary of her, deciding to leave his planet and explore the broader universe. </div><div><br /></div><div>He is on a quest for knowledge and understanding and sees many strange sights during his travels. After visiting a few other planets, the prince finds his way to Earth, where he comes across a rose garden. Though the prince left his rose behind, he still cares for her, and seeing these other roses makes him disconsolate; he thought that his rose was the only flower of its kind in the universe, but now he sees that there are hundreds of others like her. Just as he has reached the bottom of his despair, a wise fox calls out to him. The fox teaches the prince many lessons, but the most important one concerns the rose the prince left behind. The rose is not just another rose out of many, he tells the prince; it is special because of what the prince gave to the flower: "It's the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important. You become responsible forever for what you've tamed. You're responsible for your rose." </div><div><br /></div><div>When the prince returns to the field of roses, he takes the fox's wisdom with him and addresses them: "You're lovely, but you're empty," he tells them. "One couldn't die for you. Of course, an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you. But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together since she's the one I've watered. Since she's the one I put under glass. Since she's the one I sheltered behind a screen. Since she's the one for whom I killed the caterpillars. Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Since she's my rose."</div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>I love this. </p><p><br /></p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Creative Morning's Dec Theme: Pain</u></b></p><p>// <i>Muscles grow stronger after exercise tears the tiny fibers of muscle cells and the body repairs those damaged fibers. We know that physical wounds can heal with time and proper care. But we often ignore the fact that emotional pain can too.
If you need a little relief from whatever pain you’re carrying, talk to someone, make something, or help someone else in need.
Pain can point the way to growth.</i> // - CreativeMorning </p><p><br /></p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>From that one outing morning with Miss Chin:</u></b></p><p>Not a new one, just from one of the pictures taken a while back.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawWgiTI7UqJzDAXWBwbtiD66QX6P8uKRLl67Adr0qMsIaFALJi2SysHuJBy_DMtOrteOz3M1twArnl_UM2bcGLYuScSC9xhy_5zLwabUaGpU_yRGyUmum2tu_rXP2cDosGYrx82CgQX_I7d3G5etuBH8w0-JPqTRZbwPl-b8ck4LS9j1aOcUo90GfCA/s1500/sandwich.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawWgiTI7UqJzDAXWBwbtiD66QX6P8uKRLl67Adr0qMsIaFALJi2SysHuJBy_DMtOrteOz3M1twArnl_UM2bcGLYuScSC9xhy_5zLwabUaGpU_yRGyUmum2tu_rXP2cDosGYrx82CgQX_I7d3G5etuBH8w0-JPqTRZbwPl-b8ck4LS9j1aOcUo90GfCA/s16000/sandwich.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p></p></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="152" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/01TyFEZu6mHbffsVfxgrFn?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-40481522208580530382023-11-30T18:30:00.002+08:002023-11-30T18:53:04.900+08:00Little Stories 266 : The End of Week Nov<p><br />Some stories collected since last week:</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>The Covid and the Extended Weekend:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">2 weeks ago I had Covid, and then a week later Af got it too. Despite not being in contact with him, he caught it. I'm not sure whether Sofi had Covid, because on the day that I had the test positive, Sofi had a high fever for 2 days but tested negative on both tests.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But I didn't want to risk it, so Sofi and I went back to my mom's and we had an extended weekend stay there. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx904mC0gYZ3Gvl_Wu5cnwMF0ecE_7lsQkQwjjm_yq3YIxDDJgr6oa6AidzcP1xL_802MqpQg-n8VwqnWKqyzFXu2I6Wt-FMTImAmYKJ0c8T-Dpnj9HnEMSBMPtqTpkazvIUSwgwGs0VyOhlRQo-HvwCAQcSGOubPAh3akEXq2_VS7AC9ou_O5LOfC0g/s1200/blog1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx904mC0gYZ3Gvl_Wu5cnwMF0ecE_7lsQkQwjjm_yq3YIxDDJgr6oa6AidzcP1xL_802MqpQg-n8VwqnWKqyzFXu2I6Wt-FMTImAmYKJ0c8T-Dpnj9HnEMSBMPtqTpkazvIUSwgwGs0VyOhlRQo-HvwCAQcSGOubPAh3akEXq2_VS7AC9ou_O5LOfC0g/s16000/blog1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>A Walk in the City:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then I needed to return the books to the library because it was reaching its 2-week limit, so I went there on a Tuesday - that I mentioned in the previous post. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7IXV__OLdB9LGqeWjKhfGJbDMhXjG9rpsqw4XX6sbang6FzZjbKGrkbfoUpV-5Xz66viYVXob9m7o_v_7q9ju3TJbn9FSrR0t8-TrEAOp2gz04LMH4iO-hM-rhy32bRBjo8MMs30fd-6XcuotZ-e_Jw4YL1uBkpf6tYFe_MZQ6-4u8ULVIyhGnj27A/s1200/pikmin3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7IXV__OLdB9LGqeWjKhfGJbDMhXjG9rpsqw4XX6sbang6FzZjbKGrkbfoUpV-5Xz66viYVXob9m7o_v_7q9ju3TJbn9FSrR0t8-TrEAOp2gz04LMH4iO-hM-rhy32bRBjo8MMs30fd-6XcuotZ-e_Jw4YL1uBkpf6tYFe_MZQ6-4u8ULVIyhGnj27A/s16000/pikmin3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Then I had another date with myself:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On Wednesday, none of my clients updated me with any feedback yet, so I decided to make an impromptu plan to watch <b>The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. </b>I am one of the Hunger Games trilogy fans (not the books, just the story in general). So as a fan, I need to know what Suzanne Collins had to share with the world. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I booked the ticket at 11am and arrived right when the cinema displayed the gate was opened for entry. I bought myself an americano, drank half of it throughout the movie, got heart palpitations and shaky hands due to getting myself highly caffeinated on an empty stomach, and enjoyed the movie while trying to ignore my shaky chair (due to the back audience's feet) and listening to constant random conversation by a group of friends behind me. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">All in all, I was entertained by the movie. I tried writing an essay about the movie, but I found myself lacking the information needed to understand Snow better (ie in the book, you can actually read Snow's inner monologue). It is a villain origin story, and please, if you say that Snow turned into a villain because he felt betrayed by Lucy Gray, then you obviously need to sharpen your observation more. He chose to be one because of his hunger for power, money, and status. He is mistrustful towards others, he betrays, he manipulates, and he cheats. He is ambitious and narcissistic, he wants to earn his right to entitlement as his father's son. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">A sad past, a difficult life, or a partner that chooses to leave you, shouldn't be a reason for anyone to do evil things in life. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Of course, we want to blame others for our fall, but in reality, everyone is responsible for their own decision. His authoritarian convictions grew out of his experiences while growing up, he developed his ideas about the world and human nature and chose to be influenced by the different people that he met. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">He always has a choice and he finally chooses evil. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/R1vAE1SQT7NYOoYk0gbedTGtowY/fit-in/2048xorig/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2023/04/28/592/n/1922283/e75770597f7f78a1_HG-BSS_27x40_1SHT_PAYOFF_V3_rgb/i/Ballad-Songbirds-Snakes-Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="541" height="800" src="https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/R1vAE1SQT7NYOoYk0gbedTGtowY/fit-in/2048xorig/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2023/04/28/592/n/1922283/e75770597f7f78a1_HG-BSS_27x40_1SHT_PAYOFF_V3_rgb/i/Ballad-Songbirds-Snakes-Poster.jpg" width="541" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">-</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><u><b>Then it was the PMS: </b></u></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So it was the bad sleepless night, the random cries, the bloatedness, the sudden urge to eat sweets and salty foods, the headache, and the fatigue. All the things I had to go through during the emotional rollercoaster ride. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note: NEVER make any big decisions during your PMS weeks. You can cry, you can rant, you can whine, you can curse, you can question, but you can't make any big decisions during these weeks. </p><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>An Ode to my fav Flannel:</u></b></p><p>After 10 years together, exploring the city, drenched in my sweat, it is finally reaching its end of life. I saw a big hole on my left sleeve last weekend, not salvageable by sewing because I know I used it as much as I could throughout its life. </p><p><br /></p><p>Thank you my dear dear purple flannel. You were my favorite in those sweaty journeys because you hid my sweat-stain well, or my flat-chested sweaty chest, and you were clinging on me with such precious loyalty. It was always comfortable to wear a cotton flannel on an active day out, and I thank you so much for your service. </p><p><br /></p><p>Lepas ni jadi pakai jadi baju kebun :</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlylEjxbIDBvZVXY-ZZ6EBkzObhI79m8eHn8tWbLjYhKlWld1Fut2c_BYbfxjhATYSVxDXhoRrYTseI3_ACPP4RS_N4QAm9M0axWWoWx24PFdOlAreFNouPRdvX1y5uW28i5WUVqf7ZCMupB6ctD80XnvLEcHYkkuc9WAFtDYBovz43hlDeuIgL8DDg/s1200/blog2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlylEjxbIDBvZVXY-ZZ6EBkzObhI79m8eHn8tWbLjYhKlWld1Fut2c_BYbfxjhATYSVxDXhoRrYTseI3_ACPP4RS_N4QAm9M0axWWoWx24PFdOlAreFNouPRdvX1y5uW28i5WUVqf7ZCMupB6ctD80XnvLEcHYkkuc9WAFtDYBovz43hlDeuIgL8DDg/s16000/blog2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Spotify Wrapped:</u></b></p><p>These songs will be forever engraved in my mind as the year I was so emotionally invested in pain.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKl-Q-4wGMRFWGyviPydKySIFxjM5jv6k377rMt4vRyI6y-gKBFOh6Nz5s1Jujq2Pyir69zUUK7oQ5NwfzGt0FUHNXM2Mf-SFBEonq8eDoJOnHJ4bo38QwMrOLtxptZ4mZAmFkQuJRkec/s1920/2023wrapped_summary-share.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKl-Q-4wGMRFWGyviPydKySIFxjM5jv6k377rMt4vRyI6y-gKBFOh6Nz5s1Jujq2Pyir69zUUK7oQ5NwfzGt0FUHNXM2Mf-SFBEonq8eDoJOnHJ4bo38QwMrOLtxptZ4mZAmFkQuJRkec/w360-h640/2023wrapped_summary-share.jpeg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-10293066208752401842023-11-30T08:00:00.016+08:002023-11-30T08:00:00.141+08:00Books : About Books in November<p style="text-align: justify;"> <b style="text-align: justify;"><u>Books I Consumed in November :</u></b></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Unbecoming </b>by Joanne Fedler</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Your Story</b> by Joanne Fedler</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Failosophy </b>by Elizabeth Day</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>A Quitter's Paradise</b> by Elysia Chang</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>A Man's Place</b> by Annie Ernaux</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Search of Silence </b>by Poorna Bell</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Satellite Love </b>by Genki Ferguson</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Shame </b>by Annie Ernaux</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles</b> - Omnibus 1</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>How to Think More Efficiently</b> by The School of Life</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Big Wild Love</b> by Jill Sherrey Murray</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Presence of Absence </b>by Simon Van Booy</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Border of Paradise</b> by Esme Weijun Wang</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles</b> - Omnibus 2</li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGzB6cucndSo8LxOyK9vhX-7QfnmoPCeVV4lNo9IrU94mKHyj85V8A9QoE208oZ2mQlzGQeR1JgHA8bj0nAHFSO146wb2ipBnyP7wyj7DYmSXlmUSAujwtNxlKOTQiEDmh6g_LkQIBemShC-XnAIO4JTGC1UtiJ8JtHTUUO43yI0Dg2JoWwWGvYOCGQ/s1500/Books6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGzB6cucndSo8LxOyK9vhX-7QfnmoPCeVV4lNo9IrU94mKHyj85V8A9QoE208oZ2mQlzGQeR1JgHA8bj0nAHFSO146wb2ipBnyP7wyj7DYmSXlmUSAujwtNxlKOTQiEDmh6g_LkQIBemShC-XnAIO4JTGC1UtiJ8JtHTUUO43yI0Dg2JoWwWGvYOCGQ/s16000/Books6.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>A Man's Place </b>- A story about Annie's father, a practical man who showed his family little affection.</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Search of Silence</b> - I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads because it was good. Would reread it again in the future. It is a book on grief and letting go. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Satellite Love</b> - This started well but it kinda went sideways by the end of it (I feel like the tone of the book resembles Murakami's Kafka on the Shore). But I took almost 2 months to finish it off, and it wasn't even a thick book. So, not for me. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Shame</b> - I think this book should not be printed as a book, but rather, a post in a blog. There was no access to free internet in 1997, thus, Shame is printed as a book. Ha.</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tsubasa Collection 1 & 2</b> - ok, I've been trying to read Clamp's Tsubasa since I was in my early 20s, but I don't like reading on screen and I didn't want to collect the manga (ie: buy them). So when I found the series available at the library, I borrowed them right away. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>How to Think More Effectively</b> - It is a compilation of different thinking skills that can be used in life. I copy this summary from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3425103219">Selim on GoodReads:</a></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>strategic thinking</b> - We rarely think about why we do what we do. We make even major decisions with little forethought. Yet a little forethought can prevent a lot of pain later. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>cumulative thinking</b> - thoughts come in bits & pieces, if we don't take notes, they will lost in the wild. Make a habit of writing your thoughts down.</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>butterfly thinking</b> - a lot of good ideas come while you are walking, taking a shower, or commuting. Good ideas are like butterflies, they come near when you are not consciously aware of them. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>independent thinking - </b>We are searching for wisdom in books and talks. We seem to believe that other older, wiser, cooler people already sorted things out. It is not. Your own reflection on your latest anger will provide you more insight than some brilliant writing on anger. Similar to the other emotions and the human condition. You have already a lot of experience, your own life is full of insight. Dare to think for yourself.<b> </b> </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>focused thinking</b> - The mind seems to like to generalize. We describe things vaguely. When we say a nice person, a great job, or a fun date, well this is not false but not specific. Being vague prevents us from truly understanding people and situations. So focus, and ask yourself what you really think.</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>philosophical meditation </b>- Meditation is about feeling the moment and clearing the mind. Thinking and writing are great ways to meditate and clear mind. Asking yourself questions, thinking about them, and writing down the answers clarifies worries, dissolves hard feelings, and brings calm. The answers will reveal and clarify many untold worries, regrets, and hopes and you will feel relaxed.
</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>mad thinking</b> - Disregard the constraints. What would I do if couldn't fail? if I had infinite time? if money were not a concern? What if I knew I would die this year? </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>friend thinking</b> - Listening and speaking clarifies thoughts, so taking a walk and speaking with a friend is a great way to think. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>reading </b>- The aim of reading is not to accept and agree with all we read. We should think about the material, and draw our own conclusions.</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>envy </b>- Society shames envy, yet we all feel it and don't talk about it. Whenever you feel envious, get specific. What exactly are you envious of? Mostly it's just a small part of a life. Getting specific enables you to replace envy with understanding.
</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>analogies </b>- Great tools, use them, yet an analogy is only partly true, so they are not to be taken too literally.</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>empathy</b> - Look inside. What you understand from your own feelings mostly applies to others. Almost all people fear death and rejection, we all have regrets, mistakes, insecurities, and silly moments. The ancient advice has some truth, treat others as you want to be treated. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>death </b>- Remember death, it makes life much easier. In a dead-end job? In a stuck relationship? Putting off things? Not showing kindness to loved ones? Life is short and you may not be here tomorrow morning. Do whatever you wish today.</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>love </b>- We all need to feel heard, loved, understood, and respected. No one is completely foolish, and we are all foolish in some regard. Before dismissing a person or judging too harshly, remember we are all human, and to err is human. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>skeptical thinking </b>- Even being hungry or not getting enough sleep clouds our judgment. Our thoughts and values are changing. Imagine sincerely, what you believe might be wrong. Sleep on decisions. Don't be indecisive but not too certain either. Build a broad margin of error into your moves. </li></ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Big Wild Love</b> - It is a self-help book for women who struggle in a relationship, the writer tries to 'convince' or show you how to let go, believe in yourself, and pursue a better life. She keeps on saying "big wild love" throughout the book and it is very annoying. I didn't like it. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Presence of Absence</b> - It is a bit underwhelming, but I think I need to reread this again when I'm in my 50s. It touches on dying, acceptance, and the afterlife - collected from random scrap notes of a dying author from his hospice bed. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Border of Paradise</b> - I think this deserves a shoutout. It is better than RF Kuang's Yellowface or Babel. It is disturbing, a bit difficult to digest, and touches on topics like mental health, generational trauma, racism, and old money. How everything is linked. I never thought it leave me engaged throughout the 2nd half of the book. </li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>On Books:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">I found a reliable library in Klang Valley where I can borrow non-fiction and manga, hideout, and do work. That's in <b>Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur.</b> I went there twice in Nov (to borrow & return books). It is around 12-minute walk (less than 1 km) from MRT Pasar Seni.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">I read two 4-star books: <b>In Search of Silence</b> (non-fiction) and <b>The Border of Paradise</b> (fiction).</li><li style="text-align: justify;">I am currently trying to borrow all the series from <b>Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles</b>. A complete individual set has 28 volumes, but the Omnibus collection has 10 volumes and the library got all 10 volumes. Each book from the Omnibus collection combines between 2-3 mangas so it exceeds 500 pages. My shoulder was sore on the day I walked in the city while bringing thick books in my tote bag. </li><li style="text-align: justify;">I'm going to spend a lot of my time reading the whole series, so I should make a dedicated post on Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles once I finish it. I read 2 from the Omnibus version, so that's 6 volumes : </li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrn_s4ovwsW2qlNHV84MsLslUibahmvmhq6jyH8xjeRGP9dJK0LBncnelwniCPPEVWEmzB3KTmbZKSjN2L00IkL4-0aC8uidXSE2tb7d0CSOezDfZn4dI0UGSXhMHHeTTerJHPi0wNsfK5w-SYwFXG2eHKE8tscdQ5dt17a79Nq5_GhcJt1VuFsZYjw/s1500/tsubasa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrn_s4ovwsW2qlNHV84MsLslUibahmvmhq6jyH8xjeRGP9dJK0LBncnelwniCPPEVWEmzB3KTmbZKSjN2L00IkL4-0aC8uidXSE2tb7d0CSOezDfZn4dI0UGSXhMHHeTTerJHPi0wNsfK5w-SYwFXG2eHKE8tscdQ5dt17a79Nq5_GhcJt1VuFsZYjw/s16000/tsubasa.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-78552099316799240402023-11-29T10:03:00.003+08:002023-11-29T10:48:25.531+08:00Little Stories 265 : Walking in the City with My Pikmin Scout<p> </p><p><b><u>Walking with my Pikmin scout:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Since I started walking again, I searched for any walking/step count/game-related app and then I found <b><u><a href="https://pikmin.nintendo.com/en/about/">Pikmin.</a></u></b> They are like little elves creatures that are following me around. So basically I will find seeds along my path, I planted them and they will become little Pikmin. These Pikmin will help me collect more seeds, plant more flowers, and go on their own adventures. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Apparently, it was launched in 2001 by Nintendo but I just found it this month. <b>The more I walk, the more flowers I plant, and the more creatures I adopt.</b> Or something like that lah. But it still needs some kind of engagement - I need to send them to mission, or plant the seed, or give them nectars to eat. It is not an app that can just simply be ignored on the phone. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But I can track my walking steps, so it fits the purpose for now. <span style="text-align: left;">They are not even that cute (yet). </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65l3ORuY0dLzvziyG0CESSDj4ibwTEFf_1px8lq8l-JwLKpvjxh0hg6BO7IOicggizcmswJvnsU7d7mc3nGbp9KbFAOIZH2djweMCp4z5YhsTPXg42Fsk86ckek6syZjlJdFlE3FIEX7YrUhe3vYlfQtLIxEpjwByT3nMSN8tWSB4yggXPjkjEPI9EQ/s1500/pikmin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65l3ORuY0dLzvziyG0CESSDj4ibwTEFf_1px8lq8l-JwLKpvjxh0hg6BO7IOicggizcmswJvnsU7d7mc3nGbp9KbFAOIZH2djweMCp4z5YhsTPXg42Fsk86ckek6syZjlJdFlE3FIEX7YrUhe3vYlfQtLIxEpjwByT3nMSN8tWSB4yggXPjkjEPI9EQ/s16000/pikmin.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So yesterday I walked with them to the city, I wanted to return the books that I borrowed almost 2 weeks ago and replace them with more from the Tsubasa Chronicles. I planted flowers and found some new Pikmins in the city like the Rock Pikmins. I reached the 10k steps!</div><p><br /></p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I spent some time at the library browsing books, continued the group puzzle for 15 minutes, selected some books (that I already decided on long beforehand), and then I spent my time reading + having lunch at Sekalf in the Pasar Seni area, then I walked some more. Need to try the National Library next.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In case you are wondering why I'm not working, I am currently waiting for my client's feedback. I woke up early to send all drafts that morning, and then it was my rest day off so that I could focus solely on walking after being in quarantine for almost 2 weeks kan. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQks05djpCug46oI5hMyDuLPYjxci-F3UTay7RGY_GZMo6pyO7gLdAaCBWGCuGkHyv_UdzZxYlFVKMPSry2ulKf0KRBbgZ0aZ414bfFyc_-Ll_vtNBcu6tVhJlLgfD3LnaZp4t8JwKsCRgrdPyaTAsk2HR0VsfBDd-1DuOv8poO7hjGhmOFOMT5Hz4w/s1538/pikmin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQks05djpCug46oI5hMyDuLPYjxci-F3UTay7RGY_GZMo6pyO7gLdAaCBWGCuGkHyv_UdzZxYlFVKMPSry2ulKf0KRBbgZ0aZ414bfFyc_-Ll_vtNBcu6tVhJlLgfD3LnaZp4t8JwKsCRgrdPyaTAsk2HR0VsfBDd-1DuOv8poO7hjGhmOFOMT5Hz4w/s16000/pikmin2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrb_koj0pXG5PxTd2fm6-y_1AAt-eZbjB-wB9eL4_FYdCLNYTgxuYABedwEPDV6tKmZQFO1cHA2QpC4zf_H4HZRqM8eXG_he4p4lgjt1pXkuntyp1ygIgqbSEmvVJHPNqiw9RIHmGhwMorIHT0aR9zUuKhu3o43j1rd966DSTWvFppFC3WWxROtP1HQg/s1200/pikmin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrb_koj0pXG5PxTd2fm6-y_1AAt-eZbjB-wB9eL4_FYdCLNYTgxuYABedwEPDV6tKmZQFO1cHA2QpC4zf_H4HZRqM8eXG_he4p4lgjt1pXkuntyp1ygIgqbSEmvVJHPNqiw9RIHmGhwMorIHT0aR9zUuKhu3o43j1rd966DSTWvFppFC3WWxROtP1HQg/s16000/pikmin3.jpg" /></a></div><p>Note: It is always a hot day in the city, so need to bring an umbrella + shades. </p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-15201376072100314252023-11-20T07:44:00.007+08:002023-12-01T06:00:31.812+08:00Little Stories 264 : Caught the Bug, Again<p style="text-align: justify;">I caught Covid at the end of Oct last year, and I caught it again around a year later. Didn't think the test would turn positive but it did. It started with a sore throat, mild watery nose, and feeling feverish. The next day, I was better but still had a sore throat and my nose was a bit watery (not even stuffy). I bought the test kit just to make sure.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Surprise surprise, not even 5 minutes in, <b>the test kit turned positive.</b> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DEnQSoHkiahcaO0dFFlTlf6hBIeGDNrojHMwZp7YMwg8_MvfNAzDhu_ARMV24-DqCw0AcCGNOyTh2uv2fqnLuQRfZUUQyGQVnxSVZ6Yxaexx9KRCem7miHx_ZmlDkMO74GeQow4sKdga4BGB-MyWwH1cnfjSlISk98ApWXZfOE2l31VmJE_Y2VUDCw/s1200/bubur.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DEnQSoHkiahcaO0dFFlTlf6hBIeGDNrojHMwZp7YMwg8_MvfNAzDhu_ARMV24-DqCw0AcCGNOyTh2uv2fqnLuQRfZUUQyGQVnxSVZ6Yxaexx9KRCem7miHx_ZmlDkMO74GeQow4sKdga4BGB-MyWwH1cnfjSlISk98ApWXZfOE2l31VmJE_Y2VUDCw/s16000/bubur.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Apparently, I caught the bug again, perhaps during the Pekan trip at RnR that we stopped by, where we mostly mingle around with so many strangers during the festive season. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On Friday night, Sofi started developing a high fever. We suspected that she might caught the virus too because her fever was high - mostly around 39°C, almost reaching 40°C for 2 days straight (she never had those). We got her COVID's home kit test and tested her for both days but they were negative. Went to a doctor and the doctor asked to come again after the 3rd day if the fever was still there.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On the second night, it got a bit scary. She was delirious, she seemed to be seeing things or not seeing things, I wasn't sure. She ran and touched things like the pattern on her blanket, my bundled sweater on the bed, the book on the shelves, or my face, and then she seemed confused, all while her whole body was shaking so hard. Every time she woke up from sleep, she was clearly upset and confused. Her high fever was persistent the whole night, and we had to manually cool down her body using wet clothes. It finally calmed down before Subuh on the third day. The next thing I knew, she woke up in the morning and found me at my table in the other room.<i> Alhamdulillah,</i> I'm so glad. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">That afternoon on the 3rd day, she finally showered and brushed her teeth (she insisted that she smelled <i>dadi's kontot</i> on her and it was not her own breath) =.='</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>My COVID this time around: (self-quarantine)</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Day 1 (Thu): Sore throat, watery nose, feeling feverish</li><li>Day 2 (Fri): Sore throat, watery nose - tested positive</li><li>Day 3 (Sat): Sore throat, watery nose</li><li>Day 4 (Sun): Sore throat, mild cough</li><li>Day 5 (Mon): Some wild cough (on random)</li><li>Day 6 (Tue): Feeling like coughing</li><li>Day 7 (Wed): Feeling fine & tested negative (yeay!)</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Note: I got by with Difflam, daily <i>hot tea, mixed with honey. </i>Also, my symptoms are mostly focused on my throat: sore, prickly, sudden wild cough. So other than that, I got<i> madu kelulut</i> from my dad (I ate it twice a day), Af got me turmeric soft gummies to suck slowly, and dry cough syrup (that the pharmacist suggested).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Currently, I'm the only one that is tested positive and my home isolation order ends on Monday. But I will quarantine for longer lah. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-6425123476332999772023-11-18T09:00:00.002+08:002023-11-18T09:00:00.144+08:00Mini Escapism : A Walk in KL & Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur<p style="text-align: justify;">I walked around 8 km in the city, approximately 14k steps - exceeding my early plan of walking 10k steps that day. I had to compile a video for a brand so I asked for my brother to help me shoot the reels. We started our walk in the Pasar Seni area, had breakfast in Flaaah, and then walked to Petaling Street, Central Market, Dataran Merdeka, had an iced coffee break, stopped by to explore the KL library, went back to Central Market, then Pasar Seni, and lastly had late lunch at The Garden.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF4jOPON6YrS7_THcrbpOTlgc8tm1qnVzysGPIMlPNZKsObx0QxFivgjOKd73v-1pMdrGKM7uhlI0lSEJKJh-9LON-J3V9UYzrbwnVnR4a0i9J5CHrIsRN92MA3Zc48prxso8DMkR9XVzHg807MajjgVSWLQ3f3oonD7VOnMHj8Lq5PvmenlEIu4-rg/s1200/Blog1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF4jOPON6YrS7_THcrbpOTlgc8tm1qnVzysGPIMlPNZKsObx0QxFivgjOKd73v-1pMdrGKM7uhlI0lSEJKJh-9LON-J3V9UYzrbwnVnR4a0i9J5CHrIsRN92MA3Zc48prxso8DMkR9XVzHg807MajjgVSWLQ3f3oonD7VOnMHj8Lq5PvmenlEIu4-rg/s16000/Blog1.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was mostly scorching hot but we had umbrellas and shades so I didn't experience migraine this time. I was drenched in sweat and smelled like a day well spent. It was a productive walking day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm making an IG reel for <a href="https://shope.ee/B3EwYEFM5"><i><b>Charby's Orbit 20w</b></i></a> < (link here) power bank. I have been searching for a reliable power bank since I started walking in the city, found Orbit, and asked for a collaboration, they sent me one and I have been using it since then :</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>MagSafe wireless 15W + Apple watch charging</li><li>USB-C fast charging 20W</li><li>charge multiple devices at once</li><li>stand mode</li><li>LED light</li><li>safe for flights</li><li>5,000 mAh capacity, 2 hrs fully charged from 0%</li><li>weigh only 149g, </li><li>smaller than my palm</li></ul><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsQq04XmdMATtJuSm14ILaQGJs6cc5j5lpou8Z9DOEVJ-hHsXKoUW8Tpzaot7HpkHi0CMw33FW1Eb24uS_SXw6LhOQOrVcESaJBW696e4uLj5o1c2Hifj9kQBaw5NWICK-UHRTEq5JdteiSRd3iZrsengb-fbD5zhv0-LjSQOD1bX675oHbkNG60kWQ/s1200/Blog7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsQq04XmdMATtJuSm14ILaQGJs6cc5j5lpou8Z9DOEVJ-hHsXKoUW8Tpzaot7HpkHi0CMw33FW1Eb24uS_SXw6LhOQOrVcESaJBW696e4uLj5o1c2Hifj9kQBaw5NWICK-UHRTEq5JdteiSRd3iZrsengb-fbD5zhv0-LjSQOD1bX675oHbkNG60kWQ/s16000/Blog7.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>The KL Library</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was excited beyond words when I visited the library because it is a nice well-equipped, well-lighted, air-conditioned library and I wanted to visit there for quite a while. The fiction choices aren't that good, but the non-fiction (self-help, motivational, philosophy, psychology) are quite OK and they also have manga that I wanted to read and not collect. There is also a kid's section on the lower floor, so I'm planning to bring Sofi there on the weekend to get her a library membership.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQm_insgO-Bs7UhlQ-FTFGiQcEiMbxwinLGDS5M7_wrWeEbTVsgvYDAR5p35dAMkqrloWTx3wPMZmpF912fj6uX3vu29d0dvZ0yPRtHqyAZCj3TqBKWvPolY6Wy3wBlN_XwLTCaWEaZKC9fb6ooavEVP-50FuEoIXlxKUq5YLcFAFhVz0uNFQSeBn5Bw/s1200/Blog3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQm_insgO-Bs7UhlQ-FTFGiQcEiMbxwinLGDS5M7_wrWeEbTVsgvYDAR5p35dAMkqrloWTx3wPMZmpF912fj6uX3vu29d0dvZ0yPRtHqyAZCj3TqBKWvPolY6Wy3wBlN_XwLTCaWEaZKC9fb6ooavEVP-50FuEoIXlxKUq5YLcFAFhVz0uNFQSeBn5Bw/s16000/Blog3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">I created a library account right away and borrowed 3 books (need to return them within 2 weeks' time), promising myself to spend many more futures in the library. It will be my safe haven from now on. Other than a pantry where you can buy food/drinks on the first floor, and so many hidden spaces to hide or do work, the library is also located near a cafe called KLGB Confectionary & bakery (just next to the building), where they sell so many beautiful pastries and coffees. We can spend hours with free books.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Need I say more? ❤︎₊ ⊹</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The closest MRT is <b>MRT Pasar Seni</b> so you'll need to walk around 10 minutes to get there. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am so happy, you have no idea. This is the best present for me. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Here are more pictures from that day:</b></u></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdjBTNbfj2sLLAZd5sNENDgpBW1nOc88Us_ztzVwWxgLgmv6QBykzpLGWdI5ikNC8ud9h58UEDKYugOjkx6rF_00z_XGo7HEV4YmAKP2bgkDzF6hLyzZvkvQm2aH3U_lug-scNSRDah4ivLHa2xqXQtUO9nLiCd5ZKMar6pdKOYVTtgipW0OpynFj5w/s1200/Blog4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdjBTNbfj2sLLAZd5sNENDgpBW1nOc88Us_ztzVwWxgLgmv6QBykzpLGWdI5ikNC8ud9h58UEDKYugOjkx6rF_00z_XGo7HEV4YmAKP2bgkDzF6hLyzZvkvQm2aH3U_lug-scNSRDah4ivLHa2xqXQtUO9nLiCd5ZKMar6pdKOYVTtgipW0OpynFj5w/s16000/Blog4.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTKoCXnZi5xR0hNY43BDFnkt4EpsscIgW6LzYr2BdpsH4-eSOJRR2wW9tkn3neyuz3kl0RfYJmz-7UldI-iNp26FqLtYxIaYhcyfZRP0XWECAstGoDFiamun9uxy-aeyFRUGoZFBUZrYunf-Mfdp4uV1vgRNkiXYB74wskULXtKuaq3HwrDWjJe4xfA/s1824/Blog5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1824" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTKoCXnZi5xR0hNY43BDFnkt4EpsscIgW6LzYr2BdpsH4-eSOJRR2wW9tkn3neyuz3kl0RfYJmz-7UldI-iNp26FqLtYxIaYhcyfZRP0XWECAstGoDFiamun9uxy-aeyFRUGoZFBUZrYunf-Mfdp4uV1vgRNkiXYB74wskULXtKuaq3HwrDWjJe4xfA/s16000/Blog5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQvrNhAXNT9B82h4hb96wwf7jO0xsAqToL1tBoOlBi5nXUAr5RbnRrMN8dpUFsGsjNVyTmAAEThbtEfTTp5RJstAju_j9ZVBf66nm-YIFtmtAgqnGLFfSzzAbPSp9PIjUWMEWfvUf0OGNB5PFCcNAxjrvQ9sHDvfJtS7oGYOZiYp1iocZJFGOw5Ul7A/s1200/Blog6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQvrNhAXNT9B82h4hb96wwf7jO0xsAqToL1tBoOlBi5nXUAr5RbnRrMN8dpUFsGsjNVyTmAAEThbtEfTTp5RJstAju_j9ZVBf66nm-YIFtmtAgqnGLFfSzzAbPSp9PIjUWMEWfvUf0OGNB5PFCcNAxjrvQ9sHDvfJtS7oGYOZiYp1iocZJFGOw5Ul7A/s16000/Blog6.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But later on, after I arrived home, I felt a bit unwell. My throat was prickly and dry, my nose was watery, and it was so cold to be in contact with water. I felt sick, somewhat feverish, and my whole body was aching. Don't know what that was. I decided to wear a mask at home (in case it is COVID), then fed Sofi dinner, waited for Af, and just let him manage Sofi because I was in dire need of rest. Zzz.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402188536101253978.post-40097409176570099492023-11-15T09:00:00.002+08:002023-11-29T08:55:45.854+08:00Little Stories 263 : The Month I Don't Feel Like Writing<p><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uuZl4Y6X42H1vhVDBkGMdnWZagUxsxwfkkL_zgQXXZFiLKkNL8Xo8YzipjSQJywGvqIRejV6ng2SQ1COKONC7CbrJ-XGB5vt07QzJPHevc9a6bhyphenhyphenXRyag6GJw3xnbpEEcnlbgiEHrUUjVNslbFNRoBRrw-IkEuYV9s7VdmjQCE2p6b31LIrw062sog/s16000/Blog1.jpg" style="text-align: center;" /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Just Food Photo</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I love taking photos of food even when I'm at home alone, especially when it is full of colours and there is morning light coming from the kitchen window. Between us siblings, we always pass these food-pictures-of-the-day in our group chat. Just because we make an effort to eat properly that day and the visual aesthetic is nice. It is rather insensitive to post these pictures on my public social media when people are dying of hunger, so I posted them on private ones because I personally like them - IG for beautiful food ❤︎₊ ⊹ </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">These foods, even though they are packed with nutritious fiber and protein, they always make me bloat afterward. So I tried adding probiotics after meals as well, and if the pain is still bad, I will take <u><a href="https://moom.health/en-my/products/de-bloat">Moom's de/bloat</a></u> to ease the pain and do intermittent fasting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yG2389PCOZBQt0GGWaXd5z8wt3JgkLO6v7oxHa9PBpGrw55lB0jQtIhsZTAvgWmp2uMxWRpQ_GI3Hgdc21iyf6pcAX4LGBKMV_G5onpLcRABBUcqmoDdjwFgg5YF2W08KuSm9KHS9QKQs1ju0cLapgpg-o2-_bsLU73_JQ86uZG91D3LHVjEkI8Y1g/s1200/Blog2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yG2389PCOZBQt0GGWaXd5z8wt3JgkLO6v7oxHa9PBpGrw55lB0jQtIhsZTAvgWmp2uMxWRpQ_GI3Hgdc21iyf6pcAX4LGBKMV_G5onpLcRABBUcqmoDdjwFgg5YF2W08KuSm9KHS9QKQs1ju0cLapgpg-o2-_bsLU73_JQ86uZG91D3LHVjEkI8Y1g/s16000/Blog2.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>One Outing Day</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That day, I went out with Ms Chin for our borak2 session. I think the last time I met her was in Aug before her Hokkaido and Georgia trips. We sat at Christine's for 3 hours, just talking. I haven't had that for so long, and I don't even know that it is possible to sit & talk anymore without phones as a distraction. I'm trying to convince her to do one of the walking pilgrimages together :F</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Then my brother came and treated me to a late lunch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-</div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8xvtI2E4pJDFan5XyblM91FalsRLm1I0acd4rmWtvkYEVBqM3PsODE1T077xckFYbX1ZJVjzfb5lUWFrC9ZXrYcFO1d1Yx6POsColHe-dtMKfljwPYUK2iNO8vVyM3gLzlQDbvlZGesVCiPcvOy85geP1nMPzbLqNiR1k-oW1tuBg8vLKPmZ7TNiVA/s1200/Blog3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8xvtI2E4pJDFan5XyblM91FalsRLm1I0acd4rmWtvkYEVBqM3PsODE1T077xckFYbX1ZJVjzfb5lUWFrC9ZXrYcFO1d1Yx6POsColHe-dtMKfljwPYUK2iNO8vVyM3gLzlQDbvlZGesVCiPcvOy85geP1nMPzbLqNiR1k-oW1tuBg8vLKPmZ7TNiVA/s16000/Blog3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Back in Pekan</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We finally went back to Pekan during the Deepavali holiday. I originally planned to go back in early Oct, but we postponed it so many times. So when last weekend finally came, despite the long traffic because it was a public holiday and weather warning prediction in Pantai Timur, we just proceeded with the plan. Sokseksoksek, all went well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We started our journey at 9am, and we arrived at my aunty's home around 5 pm. So..yeah. It was a long hour on the road and I was overstimulated, but the next day was a calm and mostly silent-slow day, so it was worth it. We went to 3 beaches that afternoon: Pantai Lagenda, Pantai Tanjung Gosong, and Pantai Saujana Biru. Have I ever mentioned that I don't like our local beaches that much? Because beaches are too bright for my sensitive eyes and it is always too hot. I rather have cozy greenery and shady nature. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Oh, and I also ate so much food in Pekan that I was bloated and feeling unwell even days later. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Awan</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Awan is between 11 & 12 years old now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">If she is a human, she would be graduating from lower school, reaching puberty, and turning into a teenager. But she is a senior cat, so she is in her 60s (in her cat's year). She seems okay with everything, just living her golden life at home, not bothered with anything. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I don't touch her often because I'm allergic to her fur nowadays, since she started shedding her fur badly. But she seems to feel super comfortable with Af and they get along well, so that's good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></div></div></div>Azreenchanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643715926126242840noreply@blogger.com0