Little Things 17 : Morrie

Morrie's lesson :

“There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don't have a common set of values in life, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike." - Morrie Schwartz , from Tuesdays with Morrie.

Next event : Pipit 8

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Have you ever been to their urban independent store?
Eye-candy and interesting place to visit.
:D

Pipit Zakka Store

18, Jln SS2/55, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

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Little Things 16 : Oxymoron

I watched Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close a few days ago. It was a book adaptation by Jonathan Safran Foer. About a boy named Oscar Schell, in his search of the meaning of mysterious key that he found left by his late dad. He searched all around New York for the door that would be unlocked by the key. I remember that book as an odd book. There was a lot of images, clippings, markings, and such. Interesting nonetheless. 

One thing I learned from the movie is the word : oxymoron. 

It is a combination of two words that contradict with each other. In the movie, there was a scene where Oscar remembered playing game with his dad on oxymora. The last person with no new oxymoron will lose the game. Impressive game for someone that young *even for a fiction.

Example on oxymora :

Bitter sweet *how can something we call bitter, be called sweet as well? 

Serious joke 

Sweet sorrow

Dark light

Living dead

" It's a serious joke! " So, is it serious, a joke or both? 

PS :

I thought oxymoron means something to do with being super moron! :D

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Little Things 15 : Little Library

From time to time, I google or tumblr  search 'books' or 'library' just to see images of books all around the world. I have no idea how's that going to improve my life in any ways possible, but it gives such pleasures that I can't really explain in words.

Neil Gaiman's Library 

I've never read any Neil's book so I'm not sure how good his writing is.

But his book collection is surely impressive!

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Sleepyheads

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Hello !

Do you like these little sleepyheads? :

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Little Machine.

Hello!

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Doodle : March Updates + The Sleepyheads

Hello!

Since it's already end of March and the first quarter of the year is almost ended, I guess my resting season is almost officially over. Updates, updates! I'll be in the next Pipit Creative Market next May! My third Pipit event, yeay! Super excited, let this 5 weeks+ be occupied with bulks of hand made items by me! :D 

I hope you will come to the event. 

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*Sleepyheads*

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You can buy the sticker from my Etsy :

Introverts and I.

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Several weeks ago I came across a review on latest book by Susan Cain : Quiet. That's when I started to read properly about the real meaning of introvert. That's when I learned something about myself. That's when I understand and give myself a rest after struggling to keep up with the society all this while. Now I understand why I always feel the need of  being alone or stay quiet after a while, or how uncomfortable I was on every events that I had to attend, or why I feel like I was slowly suffocating and not energetic while being in working environment, even though I knew I work actively when I was alone in my room. That's why I choose one day of every month, as my time off from the society. Those thoughts about how I view family and friends, about my attachments to people, those things were explained. Finally, I understand that I was not troubled after-all, I am an introvert and I am not odd. I am no different than any other introverts in this world. And I feel relieved.  

I can't really explain how glad I was when I found out about this. I've been trying to cure things. I thought I should be like everyone. The worst is I keep on feeling guilty all the time. I was so hard on myself, and I hated myself for not trying harder. I told myself that if I can try to blend in, I will be okay eventually. But I feel worse most of the time.  

Most people I know, want to change me. And I feel disappointed and exhausted when I failed each time. I shouldn't feel bad about being myself, should I? Every person in this world is different. We can't change people, but we can try to tolerate and understand them.

If you are an introvert, it is okay. Give yourself a rest once in awhile. I know it is exhausting.

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By definition :

1. A shy, reticent and typically self-centered person.

2. A person predominantly concerned with their own thoughts & feelings rather than with external things.

Taken from : What is Introvert by Carol Bainbridge -

Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around people. They are more concerned with the inner world of the mind. They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings. They often avoid social situations because being around people drains their energy. After being with people for any length of time, they need time alone to "recharge".

When introverts want to be alone, it is not a sign of depression. It means that they either need to regain their energy from being around people or that they simply want the time to be with their own thoughts. Being with people they like and are comfortable with, can prevent them from their desire to be quietly introspective.

Being introspective, though, does not mean that an introverts never has conversations. However, those conversations are generally about ideas and concepts, not about what they consider the trivial matters if social small talk.

Quiet by Stephanie :

I enjoy Quiet very much. I think most introverts will. But I hope it isn’t just introverts who read this book. I hope extroverts read it too. Introverts spend so much time trying to understand and get along in an extroverted world, it’s about time extroverts started to try to understand introverts too.

Top Ten Myths About Introverts by Jerry Brito

PS :

Being shy is different. Shy person tends to feel fear and anxiety in such cases like social gathering. While an introvert tends to feel uncomfortable and rather be in activities with less people or most cases, alone. 

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My Wall : Doodle

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Hello!

How is your weekend? My weekend activity : decorating my wall with frames and canvases of many illustrations. I've been planning on putting up my collections. 

Here, some views in front of my work place :

That's the biggest Little Journey on canvas!

That took several months to finish, due to the size.

This is around 60 x 45 cm.

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The feather in white frame is from Astronautboys & the nutcracker is from Zamzammee.

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All the Little Journey series is up for sale.

You may email me : azreen_31@hotmail for any enquiries.

:)

Tin Soldier Adventure 4 : Pameran Keunikan Bonsai

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I've never thought I'd be interested in Bonsai! There is an exhibition on Bonsai at Muzium Alam Semulajadi, near Nexus International School :

Place : Muzium Alam Semulajadi, Putrajaya

Date : 15 Mac - 15 April 2012

Fees : Adult - RM 2, Children - RM 1

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There were so many bonsais exhibited on the level 2 open space at the muzium, mainly participants of Bonsai's contest *wild guess. Some bonsai were around 10-20 years old, each might even reach the price of RM 15k+ !

From my shortest observation, I think bonsai needs a special treatment. It is almost like taking care of a pet! *but without any sound and toilet routine. It needs everyday's sunlight, daily water, and wired to make it shaped nicely from early age.   

They said it is much easier to take care of a bonsai than an orchid. Which I've tried before but my orchid died after several weeks! Well anyhow, I don't think I got so much extra time to adopt a bonsai as my pet. Awan is enough for now.

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 This reminds me of Weeping Willow in Harry Potter!

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And this reminds me of Lara Croft movie.

Take a wild guess on the scene!

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My Doodle Therapy.

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on Watercolor Postcard from Daler Rowney,

using Unipin 0.2 & 0.8.

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Awan being healthy & fat

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Illustration on wedding card.

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Tin Soldier Adventure 3 : Pizza San Francisco

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Last week, for my oldest sister's birthday, we went out for late lunch at Pizza San Francisco. I've never been here before, it was personally requested by her. The food was nice and reasonable *for western food. It started with a lovely creamy taste of Mushroom Bruschetta. *Bruschetta is a toasted bread with garlic & olive oil :

*yummaaay*

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And my meal : Mushroom Chicken Chop.

A little bit too oily for my liking.

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Red Riding Hood Adventure 1 : Sunday

I know I've been ignoring this evil looking Red Riding Hood since I got the tin soldier. So today I went out and brought her along. We've been to several places today : the vet - to vaccinate Lat for the second time, the PKNS & Warta - to find several things to make Kak Mas's wedding's gift, the Alamanda - to fill up our almost-empty-stomach. 

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On our ride to Alamanda.

*looking almost innocent* 

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Reminded us to lock the car's door before leaving the car.

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My favorite cold Ice Peach Tea & colourful looking cold drink.

*she gave almost an evil look*

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Looking at my large bowl of Springy Noodle.

*somehow it reminds me of Ju-On*

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Raspberry Cream Pie with Chocolate Waffle Bowl

at the Cream & Fudge Factory.

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PS :

It's been a whole foods & drinks month! Haven't gain any extra weight, but surely because my body is adapting with an invisible stressful condition. So it's win-win situation! I'm not losing weight for mild depression even though normally I would probably lose several kgs, just because of the food fiesta! 

I'm super sleepy. 

Good night invisible people.

Little Things 14 : Book Addiction

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I don't mind reading fictions, really. I am not sure of my sole purpose of reading stories that weren't true, created by writer all around the globe. My inability to read motivational books and non-fiction books give me a limitation. I can only focus on stories, because it goes well with my imagination, thus I can focus and read quite fast *which is really helpful.

Good books give lessons to learn, causes to fight for, thoughts to think about. It gives spark of wisdom, knowledge & experiences from others. Only, if you let yourself to look deep enough. Most good writers leave messages in their stories, that's your task to find them.

Read from Kathryn Stocket that wrote stories about black maids in 1962, see how she writes from the eyes of white people. Read books from Khaled Hosseini, on growing up in Afghanistan or Markus Zusak that wrote The Book Thief and reflecting Nazi's effects from the eye of death. Those are only man-made stories, but they leave give you new perspective to wonder upon. 

It is such a waste to let good books stoically in book stores, getting ready to extinct. So I keep on putting this much effort to buy books, read them, and pass them around later for others to read afterwards. Books are expensive. I've been around long enough to see the price goes up almost every year.

If I have enough money to open up a small library near my home, put all my books there to be shared, buy more books to be read, it would be a dream come true. A book clinic, to treat old books. A reading class, to teach kids, dyslexics and illiterates to read. 

I can't really convince everyone to start reading again, can I? Even a single long blog post than usual might be left unread. Amusing thought.

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Tin Soldier Adventure 2 : Ros Murni Resources

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After we finished up our tiring day moving things at our new home, we went out for late lunch at Ros Murni Resources, little concept restaurant near my home. It is located near Tonga de Futsal, in Taman Pinggiran Putra, cane asily be seen from Jusco Equine. It looked like a nice and beautiful doll house. 

Normal price food & drinks. Small portion foods. People with big appetite might need several plates more than usual. Well, it's fair enough for me. *Usually I have a hard time finishing up my food, but not here!

I ordered Kuew Tiaw Kungfu, and it tasted good. *I'm a really bad food critic, I know.

Resemblance of Little Doll House.

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My younger siblings, so famished!

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 my Kuew Tiaw Kungfu

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Let's go home!

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*Whisper*

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Hello.

Are you still there?

Books Update : The Hunger Game

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Along yesterday's journey to Kuantan for a meeting, I've managed to finish up reading Catching Fire *second book of the Hunger Game Trilogy. I've also started reading the third book, Mockingjay, last night. I think it's a good sign. It's been awhile since my last encounter with anticipation on what's going to happen when I'm reading fiction books. My third book in a month, that's a new record! *in my working life, being a student might give me the opportunity to read up to 5 books a month. It's not about the quantity, I know. But I do felt left behind when I stop reading.

Anyhow, I would like to recommend this trilogy to young adult fiction readers out there. It's a series not to be missed. Personally I think it is a bit barbarous for teenagers. It reminds me a bit of The Lord of Flies by William Goldings, too cruel for child's reading. I couldn't bear to imagine people killing each others, let alone children. The thought bothers me. 

But life isn't a fairy tales and I know there might be places out there where cruelty is a norm. This series gives me a reminder of such things. 

 Every book gives different impact to readers, so I can't promise you much. But I loved it.

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Withdrawal.

I've figured, these withdrawal symptoms that I'm having will probably take several months to recover. This is my second encounter, almost identical version of what I've experienced before so the effect is slightly bigger. Because I've never thought to be in this situation again. I thought I've learned my lesson. But no. I took the risk and got myself hurt again instead. *Such irony should be celebrated.

I'll probably be traumatized by this and may take several more months to stop feeling nauseous all the time. These rapid heart beats, heavy breath, and cold feeling behind my neck. 

It's intriguing. How human can make me feel and affect my life, my emotion and my body. I've been wondering if these symptoms happen to other people as well. Or am I one of the people who will be badly affected by this whole life drama? The cynical and cold-hearted version of me can't never really comprehend what lay beneath. 

Sometimes I do feel weak for feeling too much. 

PS :

I hope it wont last that long like the last time. 

*No, I'm not on drug. Kaput.

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Awan.9

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Here are the latest pictures from Awan, getting healthier. I think she got used to wearing her plastic collar. She looks like a desk lamp, don't you think? She licks her collar ever so often, just like she licks her body before the surgery. I bet she felt so dirty for not cleaning up herself for almost 2 weeks now. Well, Awan, toughen up! 

She got several new habits :

1.

Awan sleeps on my bed almost all the time. I had to bring her out of the room every night. I can simply conclude that I am allergic to her fur, because I got bad cough since she started to sleep on my chest every morning *before the surgery. It wasn't that bad now.

2. 

When she wants to hop on the bed, she hangs her body halfway up and waits for someone to carry her up. She literally shows her big eyes!

3.

She seems much nicer now compared to before. She hardly bite anyone and she wants us to be near her most of the time. Poor Awan. So manja.

Awan, the space cat.

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Doodle on iPhone Case

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Hello, it's been awhile since my last post. It's been a hectic months, kan? I've been putting a lot of words in my other blog, maybe I've been inspired to write more than doodle :)

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Here is my latest work on phone casing :

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