my brain dump

To me, everyone should have a passion.

While I love flipping pages of magazines, it doesn't take a genius to see that I don't really have an eye for a designer; but I just love the nice pictures of my favorite things laid out in front of me. And the smell of new freshly printed pages with colors for me to flip over. And the big catchy titles of each articles or ads.

I'm always a fan of locals like CLEO, Female or Women's Weekly - but sometimes I allow myself to splurge a bit more than usual for Marie Claire because of some things that I find locals lack. Most CLEOs I read would focus on how to be career-driven female executive, or what to wear on your first night - but in this particular UK's Marie Claire December 2013 issue, they talk about (or rather, wrote about) how a woman in UK deals with her newly-discovered HIV positive disease, how Honduras being one of the most dangerous places on earth to be female, and how a small company in Japan became the first to allow its employees bring their babies and kids to work.

(of course there are more pages on makeup tips and nice tops, but let me prioritize here.)

While I don't really have the right hands to even muster up a good article worthy enough for a magazine, I love reading. I love soaking up new things that I'm not exposed to daily in my own bubble; like these topics in the magazine. I love reading about these challenges people all around the world would face but strangely in our comfort zone, it's hardly even heard. I love reading about the bigger issues covered in other foreign places than our own, and yet feels so close to heart.

It feels like I'm out of my comfort zone when I indulge myself in reading, and sometimes being out of my comfort zone feels good.

For him, football is always the one place he feels he belongs - at least he seems to be - so even if he wasn't the type who reads, when it comes to football, he'd read. So that's passion to me.

I'm yet to finish the Marie Claire (I'd have to go to work some time) but I don't mind taking the time to finish it. If you read, you'd know how big of a deal it is.

Bought this top in a bigger size so it's loose on me, tucked it in at the front and leaving it untucked at the back cause it makes me comfortable.

He came to fetch me for our date, looked at me up and down and said "why are you tucking it in halfway? If you're gonna tuck it in, tuck it in all the way; not leaving part of it hanging out like that"

(And you think guys won't know fashion as well as us girls do.)

I ignored him, we continued to have our breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

Getting back to the car.

"Ok I give, please tuck your top in properly"

As much as I want to disagree with him, at the end of the date I do think the top looks rather better being tucked in both front and back. And granted, the skirt isn't too tight on me so I didn't feel as self-conscious as I usually do wearing a skirt (lived my whole life in jeans) so it's a win-win.

And as much as I don't want my fashion sense to be shadowed by his preferences, I'd have to admit sometimes he does have a better eye.

Remember this?

Well, that was a sad day..but I just found out that Mum, now, also has her own Instagram account.


And she has now followed me and commented/liked some of my photos. As soon as I found out, I went to my Instagram profile and deleted the blog link (am lucky all my photos are parents-approved though)

Now this space and Twitter are the only places she hasn't invaded. I shall terminate my Facebook/Twitter/Blogger profile and go live in a cave if she ever found out, or resort to using other screen names instead of my real name, or just go hide somewhere she can never find me.

Seriously, how do you guys deal with this?!

And she's a full-time working mum, mind you. At the government's own Custom office, in fact. I'd hate to think what'd happen when she's finally retiring (which is in a few years)..maybe she'll even start to blog.

So here comes the migraine.

As much as I'd like to say I'm a straight-forward-hassle-free kinda bride, when this thing started I don't even know where to begin.

Naturally, the first thing that'd come to most of the girls is of course the nikah dress. I've been Googling nikah dresses design high and low; even those with frills and big puffy sleeves made my heart jumps up and down just because of the thought of getting married.

Let's not dwell on that now.

But anyhow, deep down I know I can search high and low all I want; but the one that I've been seeing in my dreams is a simple kurung modern dress with matching veil and the tail slightly longer so that can help me look taller (of course). I don't want it a big fuss; one that is too tight that will make it hard for me to walk as I knew I'd be under a lot of pressure on that day; and one that is too big or loose will make me look like drowning, under the veil and whatnots.

So after sending emails to some tailors and designers I have my eye on, Googling their designs, asking le fiancé for his honest judgement so that I know I'm not delusional, comparing the prices according to my budget, I finally paid a visit to this boutique in Kajang.


Sanding dress, veil, tudung, shoes
His sanding baju
Sanding dais, makeup artist
Caterer
Photographer, videographer
Family's attire
Pengapit's attire

His side
Sanding dress, veil, tudung, shoes
His sanding baju
Sanding dais, makeup artist
Caterer
Photographer, videographer
Accommodation for family in Dungun
Pengapit's attire


Bridezilla mode on. Wish me luck!

(Man Kajang's address : Aked MARA, Kajang)

You know when you've been in an LDR for too long, dates during weekends for you is pretty much non-existent that you're so used to quiet Saturday in reading books when your girlfriends are too busy to hang out.

Hence why I'm pretty much still in shock of my new routine nowadays - he's started his new job in KL which means he's just a few miles away; and my weekends are not the same anymore.

We've been going out like we used to - except that now that we're adults, we drive and no longer take cabs or trains which I admit is a fact I'm still adjusting to. Took him to some hang out places I love; and I've got to admit this transition to short distance relationship is pretty awesome!

Went to IKEA the other day for our date, and he claimed it was his first taste of the famous IKEA meatballs.

There were a lot of times when I wonder if a lot of my Mum's wonderful traits are descended to me, praying to God that I'd be half a woman that she is.

Well, now there is one I sure hope God would decide I'd be better off.. (among the many quality ones I know)

This past weekend Mum came to KL to have our little family getaway; so my sister and brother in law took us to Genting and around KL since it's been quite few years since the last time we were there as a whole family.

We brought her to best places to eat, best places to hang, to shop..basically everywhere we got tired of to go and just for the sake of bringing her around, we made ourselves go. And each time, I noticed that she kept looking at her smartphone (yes, she got one for her birthday - I'm going to have a talk with my sister about this) frantically typing and clicking away.

All the while I thought awww, she must be missing and texting the uncles and aunties back home to tell them where she's going, etc.

Until I saw this on my feed.