March 5, 2011

Pig Attitude

TODAY feels like it was a hectic day but I can't really remember why because as far as I know I spent the whole day eating.

I ate this really delicious Nasi Lemak at this tiny little outlet laden with good local food for brunch. Then I wiped clean a bowl of Soba Mee, a Banana Split and a Durian Cake from Secret Recipe for tea. And I still have room for more.

This is not the norm for me, who everyone knows is a small-and-light eater. I must be putting on weight and not exercising enough because a family member actually called me a fatso today.

I wasn't angry about being called fat. It was a change from being called thin, skinny, all bones, no meat...but it got me worried. I do not like not being fit because that would mean less stamina, which in turn means I have to cut down on physically challenging activities.

It looks like I will have to start my exercise routine again very, very soon, which I have been neglecting to tell you the truth :)

I feel and behave like a pig today.
Clipart: Pig - HEXTRUST

But I did learn a good lesson today. That I should never think ill of anyone without really finding out or knowing the truth. So I'm apologising to my mechanic (who always go all out to help fix my car) for thinking he is always over-charging me.


This post is pretty short because American Idol is starting in the next few minutes. Don't ask me why I bother but yeah, I think the male singers are much better this year.

Will write again soonest. Kiss the night goodbye 'cos a new day is dawning in the next 1 and a half hour.

BIG HUGS!!!

Quote for Day 62

Image: Austria 5-JACK MASON

"Forever turned out to be too long." - Legends of the Fall

March 4, 2011

Pushovers and Bad Road Manners

THE DAILY BITCH
DRIVING can be a dangerous enough experience without the added complication of inconsiderate, stupid people who feel that they should own the road and that the rest of us road users are insignificant.

One such type of person is the queue jumper, those ignorant imbiciles that decide they don't have to wait in queues like the rest of us and try to push their way through.

Yes, I do get angry at these inconsiderate people, but to be honest, they've probably spend their lives taking shortcuts so they don't know any better.

Clipart: Gangster Car Illustration-NETALLOY

But the people who really 'p' me off are those who let the queue jumpers in. I mean, seriously, these people actually condone que jumping, when they should really be sending a clear message which says no.

I for one refuse to let a queue jumper push in, and I will happily run my car into them if they so feel that they are more important than the rest of us.

After all, I've spent my time waiting in the queue, so I expect everyone else to have the same common courtesy to the road users.

And, I drive an old car, so a few scratches or little dents really don't matter to me.

Salvatore Ferragamo Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

My kinda look! Bravo Ferragamo!!!
THE colours black and white and dashes of red were favourites of Salvatore Ferragamo in his Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection showcased at the Milan Fashion Week. But this season is all about going earth for Ferragamo’s Creative Director, Massimiliano Giornetti.

Second to none on my list.
Models draped in Ferragamo’s Spring/Summer 2011 Collection walked the short runway constructed just outside of the brand’s exclusive two-floor boutique in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur during the launch late last month.

The ultra-cool baby chic look.
The Women’s Collection captivates with simple lines and minimal fuss on skirts and tops making me want to have several pieces of this gorgeous free-and-easy look.

Although the two-piece ensemble with tops that give a good view of the midriffs may look cool and trendy on the catwalk, it might not go down well with the locals if I am seen in the malls dressed like that. But where fashion is concerned I can learn to mix and match while remaining true to the Ferragamo essence.

Simple elegance.
Thirty-two pieces from both Men and Women Collection were highlighted at the launch. At least five were my favourites. Donning a headscarf works for me too as it adds flavour to the overall look.

I am all for earth tones and Ferragamo gives it in reasonably huge doses in this collection.

Crisp and fresh but not matronly.
The shoe collection is just as impressive, complementing the Women’s Collection well. This season’s footwear has been kept closer to ground level, stressing on pumps and lower heels as compared to the usual six-inch stilettos.

I love smart sophistication in men's dressing...
Salvatore Ferragamo Spring Summer 2011 Collection tells of Giornetti’s inspirations, derived from Jacques Deray’s late 60s movie La Piscine and influenced by his sweet memories of summer in the South of France.

...yet casual enough to look hot like this!
This season is all about the marriage between the Bohemian and the aristocratic lifestyles – “the birth of an eclectic and unpredictable wardrobe”.

Now bring out the credit cards!

Quote for Day 61

Image: Ruined - EXIAN
Our biggest defeat is when we lose faith - Anon
Remember, our body is our temple, our home where our spirits, hope and aspirations live. Do not abandon it by giving up.

March 3, 2011

Herve Leger Femme From Avon

HAVING been a journalist for donkey years must have given me a pretty thick skin.

At an event late this afternoon, my tongue had a major slip-up when I mentioned the bandage dress as bondage instead.

None of those present laughed. Maybe they were too shocked at the very meaning of the word and the fact that I made that slip-up. And to think I was at an event that’s highlighting sensuality through the brand’s latest fragrance.

I was quickly corrected by the company’s representative, complete with a dry smile. Sorry but I didn’t even blush.

These models donning Herve Leger's bandage dresses have been carefully selected to showcase the new fragrance.

Avon's Fragrance ambassador Fazura.
Well, talking about bondage…err…I mean bandage, Avon’s latest fragrant is all about wrapping oneself in seduction.

Sensual, sexy and every bit a woman, Herve Leger Femme is another major collaboration between Avon and the big names in the fashion and beauty industries.

Simply named Herve Leger Femme the fragrance was created around the bandage dress, a Herve Leger signature.

The fragrance has a woody floral scent that sees the combination of Chinese Magnolia Flower (which I love), Sicilian Pink Grapefruit, Moroccan Orange Flower, Honeywood, Benxoin Tears, Cypress Wood and Vanilla.

You might not like all these scent when tested individually but when combined to create the Herve Leger Femme, the scent is captivating.

The people in Avon recommend it as a versatile fragrance that’s suitable for day and evening. However, you may want to test it out first and see for yourself how you would want to use it, either in the day, at night or both. 

Avon's collaboration with big names in the beauty and fashion industry has given birth to Herve Leger Femme.
I personally would dab it on if I have to attend a more formal event where there are lots of people and I don’t want to drown in everyone else’s perfume. Herve Leger Femme has a distinct smell of its own and I’m sure I will attract some attention whenever I have it on.

The Eau de Parfum comes in a 50ml rectangle bottle designed to resemble a bandage dress. I find the packaging a little bit too masculine for the fragrance’s concept, expecting a more elegant bottle that sort of drapes the lines resembling the bandage dress in a more sensual silhouette.

Besides the new fragrance, the menu for the day's refreshment has also been carefully selected to please all.
When I commented on this, Avon Malaysia President Mansoor Wan Abdullah described the bottle as sensuality within masculinity – the shape of the bottle resembling the strength of a woman’s characters and the fragrance in itself reflective of a woman’s feminine qualities. Well-said I thought.

Although the perfumer for Herve Leger Femme, Calice Becker couldn’t make it to the launch a representative was present.

These taste as good as they look.
The RM109 (Sabah & Sarawak RM125.35) 50ml Herve Leger Eau de Parfum For Her Spray will be available on March 16 through Avon dealers, at Avon Beauty Boutiques, from Avon toll-free line 1 800 22 Avon (2866) as well as at http://www.my.avon.com

More images of some of the spread served to guests at the event.

Quote for Day 60

 Image: Flower Eye_koetsy18

You are a flower, so bloom - Steven Tyler

March 2, 2011

Good Time Management

THE DAILY BITCH
I'm not the best person in the world at keeping time, but I grew up with a simple rule –“it's polite to be 10 minutes late; any more than that and it's rude”.

I have generally (but not always) followed that rule, turning up around 10 minutes late, giving just enough time for my host to get their last minute things prepared, and me not appearing disinterested by being too late.

But lately, I find an increasing number of extreme lateness, something which I feel is getting less and less appropriate. 

Today alone I have had several incidences of people being late. Not 10 minutes, but half an hour or even an hour. It's not about the traffic; it's the lack of planning and lack of respect to other people that causes it.
Clipart: AmpulhetaCopia - BETTO COUTINHO

My accountant visited today, 40 minutes late. He left his office on time, the traffic was good, but got himself lost. He then thought it was okay to be 40 minutes late whilst he got lost in the neighbourhood - a simple check of a map would have ensured he was not lost, and he wouldn't have wasted 40 minutes of my time, nor pushed the rest of my meetings to be later ... making me look the unprofessional one.

For heaven’s sake, plan.

If you've got time, leave early and be sure. Your lack of planning has a knock-on effect for others, and frankly, the next person who is going to be late for me will simply be told when they arrive to reschedule. I no longer wish to try and squeeze people in just because of their lack of planning

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

WHY is it many of us find it hard to say sorry when we have done something wrong?

It’s such a simple word to say – SORRY (if you know your English Language enough), SORY or SORI (if you can pronounce the word well but can’t spell it right), SOLY (if you speak a certain dialect due to your native tongue), SOWI (if you are a kid and is understandably pelat, a Malay word that explains a child’s inability to pronounce words correctly when they are at a certain age).

It isn’t hard to say sorry. It actually takes less than a second to utter it and yet many of us take a lifetime to understand the importance of saying sorry.

Please don't take a lifetime just to say sorry.
 Clipart: Pirate Skull - CHRIS DESIGN

Isn't saying sorry the first thing we learned during our childhood? I remember how one of my aunties used to hit her kid's knuckles if they didn’t say sorry whenever they did something wrong. Well, that's how upset someone gets when he or she does not get an apology!

I wrote this post for that very reason - expecting a well-deserved apology from people who have offended me BUT never getting any.

At the food outlet in the mall I was in one morning a wait staff made a mistake with my order and instead of apologising, which would clear everything in one minute she decided to be smart and gave excuses instead. I ignored her lack of diplomacy but it made me wonder why many of us find it hard to say sorry.

If you’ve been to an Ayam Penyek outlet you will know that the staff behind the cash counter does not like customers walking straight to the counter to place orders even if you already know what you want without looking at the menu.

The staff will quickly push those little order list and pencil in your way, saying: “You sit down first, look at the menu and order here” while pointing to the list.

If you don't move your butt she will give you a hard glare and say: “Never mind. Seat first and order here”, again pointing to the list.

That’s when we get difficult. That's when we become the "unbearable, snooty customer" because we will return her stare twice as hard and cold and become monosyllable: “WHY?”

Is it really that hard a word: S-O-R-R-Y?
Clipart: Confused Man-MISTY/Bubble-DEAR THEOPHILUS/Question Mark-ANONYMOUS

But we can’t win. So we take our seat and tick what we already know we want and return to the counter with our list. Then we hand her the list and she looks through it and double-checks on orders she isn’t clear about.

Of course we won't bother to remind her of the rest of the orders because (1) there’s a tick on every order (2) she doesn’t ask and (3) she only double-checks orders she isn't clear about.

So what do you do when, after the hassle and the waiting, your takeaway arrives but with one item less? And the same person at the counter calls out:: “So you want this order as well (referring to the missing order)?”

So we curtly say: “Yes”.

Then her reply would be: “Oh you didn’t tell me just now.”

Fed-up, all we can muster is a: “That’s why it’s ticked.”

And she would say: “Oh.”

Just “oh”, no explanation.

Time is ticking and still no sorry.
Clipart: 7-Segments Indicator. Play With Buttons - BOIKO

I can wait at the counter all day but I know the apology isn’t coming, not even until the cows come home. Next time I will get a small play-card ready that says: SAY SORRY PLEASE.

And that was one sorry-less event in the afternoon, not thinking I would come across another similar experience just a few hours later.

As I was writing this post, I received a call on my hand-phone. There was no name to the number but I have to take the call in case they are new customers. The person at the end of the line said “hello”, in response to my initial “hello”.

I said: “yes?”

And again he said hello.

And again I responded.

There was a pause from him before he hesitatingly said hello again.

Trying to be as patient as I can I repeated my hello and added: “Hi, who do you want to speak to?”

The voice went silent, and then a slight muttering that sounded a little like “errr…” and he put down the phone.

Even a signboard knows how to say sorry.

Do you feel angry when this happens? Do you get agitated? Or do you feel amazed?

I get so annoyed even though I have been through the same thing many times over. I get pissed off even though I understand that there are many rude people out there who shame God’s gift to them – the brain!

If you are one of those annoying people who doesn’t know how to say sorry when you have offended someone – accidentally or otherwise, please read my lips: SAY SORRY. 

The word “sorry” weighs less than a feather and yet its meaning is deeper than the ocean, the effect it has as impactful as an earthquake.

Saying sorry can easily make people re-think their values in life, no matter how hurt they feel, how offended and how angry and bitter.

Saying sorry heals pain.

Quote for Day 59

Image: Early Morning Sunrise - RDDM1207
There is no fear in life but that of God and there is no love in life but that of God - Anon

March 1, 2011

Family Ties And Lies

THE DAILY BITCH
IT was pointed out to me some years ago that the word FAMILIES can only be spelt with the word LIES. How sad, but how sooooo true.

After years of frustration with certain relatives (if you're reading, you know exactly who you are), experience, and repetitive behavior only goes to confirm this old saying.

If I count the number of LIES I have been told, or experienced, over the last five years alone, and did each one by one, I've got a lot of bitching. So, Ill bring it all together and just have a rambling bitch about how people, who are supposed to love you, end up by disappointing you all the more, under the supposed guidse of "caring".

 Image: Mirror On Wall - ASIFTHEBES

If you really care, be honest, always! Yes, truth hurts, but being lied to, then finding out about it hurts more.

So, the Bitch of the Day Award goes to JS (you know) who continues to hurt whether she means it or not, simply because the truth is too hard to face. But tell you what, the truth will make me upset; the LIES make me want to never forgive.

Those of you out there who understand the trapping of LIES in FAMILIES; well, start being honest with yourself and honest with others. The damage will be far less, and you may even get the opportunity to repair relationships.

Quote for Day 58

Cliparts: Flower Of Life Symbol-CARLOTHEMAN/Bee-FORESTGREEN/Flu-KRISTINA

I am no more your yellow bumble bee - Anon

February 28, 2011

The Animal Lovers In Us

Story: M. ISMAIL

OVER lunch recently, my two girlfriends and I got to talking about pets. One has five cats and a dog while the other has six dogs. The first thought that crossed my mind was where do they live? Well, they don’t live in condos or apartments or flats so that’s reassuring. They live in houses, with a garden.

I beamed at the thought – healthy and well-loved animals running about on the greens and cuddling and hugging and playing about with their owners. Most pet owners, if they are women, will refer to themselves as Mummy to their pets. So what do male pet owners call themselves? Anyone knows?
A good home - that's all a doggie ever want.
 Clipart: Puppy Doghouse-MEGANSB (OCAL)
(Below) Clipart: Misa-AMY TRUONG (OCAL)

Has everyone forgoten?

Our conversation also included that dreaded dog abuser every one talked about – from Malaysia right across the universe! And he is not caught till today, neither is there any news as to whether the Malaysian authorities have done anything about it.

That’s one of the things I hate about cases such as this. The whole world can get so riled up about this act of cruelty, sign petition, demand action only to find several months later everything has simmered down and the poor dog is forgotten and no one is talking about it anymore.

 But I’m not surprised. We’ve all heard of worse cases – molestation, rape, abuse, the whole lot – that have just disappeared into the night air. No one knows what’s happened. If any of these victims are lucky some action would have been taken. But if the matter is a little too complicated – Hello! Goodbye!

One of my girlfriends said it is almost impossible to trace the abusers just by watching the video. It could be anywhere in the world although the abusers spoke in Malaysian Chinese. They could be Malaysian Chinese living abroad. Never mind the fact that the thumb-drive was found in Malaysia. In fact, the recording might not even be so recent.
Animals are adorable. Why hurt them?
 Clipart: (above) Cute Puppy Dog-KELLY (OCAL)
(Right, below) Sad Dog With A Broken Leg-JOHNNY AUTOMATIC (OCAL)

Something that my girlfriend said hit me squarely in the face – how society gets so upset and angry when they actually watched a recording such as this and yet not flinch when they see a stray walking aimlessly on the street, dying of hunger, its body blotched with peeling skin and maybe with one eye less.
STOP hurting them!

What’s the difference, she asked? What’s the difference between a stray and the abused dog in the video? The pain, she said, is the same. The brutality is the same. The torture and cruelty is the same.

Why is it we don’t pick up a stray animal and give it shelter when it’s right there in front of our eyes and yet we go up in arms when we see something so tragic as in the video?

Let’s be honest. How many times have we seen these strays being kicked about by humans, both young and old because they were in our midst as we are about to enjoy our food at the mamak stalls?
                                                                                                   
How many times in our lives have we seen someone kick their cats because the cats persistently wrapped themselves around their owners’ legs, something so innocent and yet can easily make us humans annoyed.                                            

We are all guilty, in some ways or other. We are all abusers of different degrees.

If animals can live in harmony with each other, why can't humans accept this?
 Brindle Boxer And House Cat-MOHAMED IBRAHIM (OCAL)

                                         

Quote for Day 57

Cliparts: Sun-LAOBC / Bikini-FREEDO
Cayenne Red Chilli Pepper-IOLCO51

A chilli a day, makes me bump and sway - Anon

February 27, 2011

No Right Or Wrong In Fashion

Do you hate the Fashion Police - the officially appointed ones by fashion magazines as well as people in general who just love commenting on the way other people dress. I hate them and I hate what they do.

Whenever I come across a fashion spread anywhere that has a Fashion Police lurking in some corner I wish I could just catch them by the neck and shake their bones till they rattle. That’s how much I hate them.

My reaction was triggered off after reading an article on OMG which ran a short piece on Jennifer Aniston’s new hairstyle. No, there’s nothing wrong about the article itself but the underlying message in the story, which I’m very aware of – people just can’t mind their own freaking business!
While these look right onstage, will it be easily accepted when someone decides to dress in one?

By «Slava Zaitsev» Moscow Fashion House (Provided via email by) 

Why does anyone want to care how another person dresses? What makes the Fashion Police, experienced or otherwise in the so-called fashion business they are in, think that they have better fashion sense? Half the time I noticed the very person who comments on another person’s “wrongly” put-together ensemble actually have them “wrong” on themselves as well.

I’ve watched several of these makeover reality shows and I balked all the time when the “victim” appeared at the end of the show looking worse than a Barbie.

Can you imagine putting ultra feminine clothes on a hardcore rocker simply because her friends want her to project the more feminine side to her? But what is exactly feminine in anyone’s eyes? Do two sets of eyes always agree on the same thing?
Olympia Fashion Show 2010 (26)
While everyone wants to look this stunning, not everyone is capable of it.

In one of the series in one particular makeover reality show, the host, who is some kind of fashion Guru coaxed this female rocker to put on stilettos instead of her knee-length boots, tight knee-length skirt and vest and splatter madness amount of make-up on the poor woman.

Towards the end of the show you see this strange looking woman tottering about on the stage to “present” herself to her audience, who clapped incessantly at the “new” person. Right - new, fake and ugly. They completely stripped her off her identity, making her not even close to what she really is like.
Olympia Fashion Show 2010 (38)
Something as simple as these may not be as simple to put together for everyone.

A makeover isn’t about stripping the person off her identity and transforming her to something she isn’t. My advice to fashion Gurus is to do their makeover according to what will work for the person and what that person aspires to improve. The "job" is to add and subtract where needed and not remove everything completely until the person feels lost about herself.

Gurus - do not make the person into what YOU want her to be but what the person wants herself to be.

Do your makeover on the rocker but give her stylish boots instead of 6-inch stilettos she can’t walk in. Give her some sexy, leather pants instead of tight skirt she feels uncomfortable in. Make her believe she can look just as attractive as any women in a body-hugging LBD by giving her the correct mix-and-match ensemble rocker-style.
Vanessa Oliveira-Portugal Fashion
Imagine if someone were to wear a similar skirt such as this but matches it with a different top, what do you think the Fashion Police would say?
By Roberto Santorini (originally posted to Flickr as FASHION) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

If Fashion Gurus can't have any common sense in dressing up someone then it's high time producers of makeover reality shows introduce a show that says Dress The Fashion Guru instead.

Now that would be fun!

Quote for Day 56

Image: Bending WIre - EQILSHAY

I am no more in pain because yesterday is history, today does not stand still and tomorrow a must. Even if I fall as I run and then leap, I will stand again because I am ME! - Anon